SMBC Japan Series 2026 Game 1 DeNA vs Softbank Hawks (24th, Yokohama)

The man who had been looking forward to this day more than anyone else swung with all his might from the very first pitch. He received loud applause from fans of both teams during the pre-game ceremony and his first at-bat. Softbank Hawks' Yu Yamamoto, making his first appearance in the Japan Series, produced a sharp hit in his first plate appearance. With one out in the second inning, he drove Yu Ishida's 149 km/h pitch into right field. 'I couldn't play the year before last, so I want to fight through to the end this year,' he said, channeling his past frustration.

The long-awaited opponent for the final showdown is DeNA, the team he was with until May. During the 2024 Japan Series, when he was still a member of his former team, he was unable to play due to a right ulna fracture. 'I was given a great experience (being in the dugout),' he recalled. Two years have passed since then. Now, as the regular catcher for the perennial champions, he stood proudly on the stage. 'I wondered how nervous I would be, or how I would feel.' Because he had been sidelined during the interleague games due to a stress fracture of the left hamate bone, this was his first appearance at his former home, Yokohama, since the game against Hiroshima on May 6th. His hit was his first since May 5th, when he recorded three hits. Furthermore, with no outs and a runner on first in the seventh inning, he struck a sharp doble down the left-field line.

Even after moving via trade, his bond with his teammates remains unchanged. He is on close terms with Sano and Maki, dining with them and keeping in frequent contact. He repeatedly said he was "really looking forward" to this big stage. While he holds the key as the defensive anchor against members he knows well, he showed his presence on both offense and defense, such as helping Uwasawa settle down after he faced a one-out bases loaded situation in the first inning.