Lotte's autumn practice was held at Zozo Marine Stadium on the 19th.

During last season's autumn practice held at Zozo Marine Stadium, Akito Takabe pushed himself to his limits, saying, 'I want to think about whether my body can move when I'm tired, what my movements are like, and how I move when I'm exhausted. I want to keep thinking even when it's tough.' This autumn, however, he is focusing on physical strengthening and technical practice, stating, 'I am working with the intention of building my body and making up for my lack of skill.'

Since last August, when he focused on swinging hard, his batting average reached .337. However, during the Miyakonojo spring camp, he stated, 'This year, rather than just swinging hard, it is about balance. It feels like the proportion of my entire body is working together strongly.' When asked during an interview on May 17 if he was still hitting with the same mindset as in spring camp, he confessed, 'I cannot go into much detail, but I am doing the exact opposite. I am changing the core parts. I have changed my mental image.' Yet, in an interview on September 27 toward the very end of the season, he said, 'Now, conversely, I am conscious of balance, so I am working while thinking about what I should do to be able to swing the way I want to with good balance.'

I wonder if they will continue to swing with good balance throughout this autumn.

I am continuing to maintain my balance, and sometimes I look for the reasons why it might be getting worse. I practice while clarifying things for myself, such as how to use my left hand, how to use my feet, and the mental images I have.

In an interview on September 27th, he said, 'I think I can compete a little if I understand and do what I am capable of now,' but currently he explained, 'That was the case then, but now it is a priority to organize my potential, or rather my technical image, and create something that allows me to compete. First, I want to re-examine my physical condition, further expand my range, and more deeply integrate my techniques.'

Last year, he faced himself and worked hard on his training without taking a break even during the New Year holidays. This year, he stated firmly, 'I plan to focus on physical conditioning and bodywork through the end of the year, and then move on to technical training after the New Year. Plans are just plans and things can change, but I have no intention of taking a break.'

Preparations to bounce back for next season have already begun.

Ikeda: "I want to start building a 'core' from this autumn."

Raito Ikeda, Takabe's junior from university, appeared in a career-high 86 games this season, but his number of plate appearances was limited to 94, down from 249 the previous year, and he finished with a .222 batting average, 0 Home Runs, and 1 RBI.

I think the results turned out this way because I was overthinking things due to the many pinch-hitting and mid-game appearances. As I mentioned last year, I want to build a solid 'core' starting this fall.

In batting practice this fall, he has often been hitting with a no-step or sliding-step style, and when facing a left-handed batting pitcher, he sinks even deeper while using that same no-step or sliding-step approach. During today's batting practice and live-game format drills, he was also hitting with a no-step or sliding-step style.

I want to focus on making contact with the ball as consistently as possible. To ensure I can get my timing right with high probability, I plan to start by minimizing my movements, and from there, I hope to experiment with things like lifting my leg and other adjustments.

Looking ahead to this autumn and winter, he expressed his determination, saying, 'I want to prepare myself to be in the lineup from the start of the season and work on refining my technical skills so that I can truly make them my own.'

Yokoyama: "I want to make this off-season one that leads to improving my own abilities."

Rikuto Yokoyama, who entered the pros in the same draft as Takabe, won the position of closer this season, recorded 35 saves, and earned the title for most saves.

While winning an individual title was significant, he also fought through the entire season in the first team for the first time in his seven-year professional career. 'Being in the first team for the whole year for the first time has given me confidence. It won't mean anything unless I continue this, so I want to keep playing without being sidelined from next season onwards.'

Looking ahead to next season, he expressed his enthusiasm for the period from autumn onwards, stating, 'The ability to strike out batters, which was pointed out to me throughout this season, is still insufficient for a closer. I want to make this off-season one where I think for myself about how to improve that, while looking at the data and working toward enhancing my own abilities.'

Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita