Hatsuhiko Tsuji and Yutaka Takagi, who appeared on 'Professional baseball News 2026' broadcast on Fuji TV ONE on the 17th, mentioned Softbank Hawks' Gota Suzuki.

Suzuki pitched in 40 games this season, his first year as a pro, contributing to the league championship with 4 wins, 1 loss, 5 holds, and a 1.74 ERA. In Game 1 of the CS Final Stage against Nippon-Ham, he took over for starter Moinelo in the 3rd inning with two outs and the bases loaded while trailing 1-3, and became the winning pitcher after 1 1/3 innings of perfect relief.

Mr. Tsuji praised the performance, saying, 'That was great. It was a key point. I think his superb pitching in a situation where he absolutely had to stop the opponent really stood out. He stepped up and shut them down perfectly when Moinelo wasn't at his best. He stopped the momentum just as it was about to shift to the other side. It was that kind of impactful performance.'

Mr. Takagi marveled at the strategy, saying, 'Manager Kokubo uses him in similar situations and at similar timings. It is as if he has found a rhythm in how he is deployed. Even in truly critical moments, one might wonder if the rookie Suzuki will be okay, but since he has been broken in since the regular season, he actually is fine.'

☆ Cooperation: Fuji TV ONE "Professional baseball News 2026"