◆ Batting average of .125 over 2 games. Sakaguchi says, "If he can just get one hit or one RBI, he'll get on a roll."

In the SMBC Japan Series 2026, which began on the 24th, the Softbank Hawks have won two consecutive games. On the October 25th broadcast of Fuji TV ONE's Professional baseball News 2026, cleanup hitter Ryoya Kurihara was named as the key player for Game 3.

Kurihara has been struggling with a .125 batting average (1-for-8) over the first two games. Commentator Akihiko Ohya pointed out, 'Looking at these two games, the Softbank Hawks have only been winning thanks to the performances of the supporting players. To play a solid game, we need the cleanup hitters; if Kurihara, who worked the hardest during the season, starts hitting Home Runs, I feel like the team will become unstoppable.' MC Tomotaka Sakaguchi expressed his expectations, saying, 'His performance in Game 2 didn't seem quite right either; it felt like he was being forced to swing. It would be great if he could hit a Home Run here, and if he starts earning RBIs, the scoring will increase significantly since the lower lineup is doing well. I think the team's morale will rise sharply, so I'm hoping for a recovery, so to speak. Of course, he is a heavily marked player, so some struggle is inevitable, but I believe if he can just get one hit or one RBI, he will get on a roll.'

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