Mr. Tanizawa: "He has mastered the fastballs on the inside." Mr. Tsuji: "In his own mind..."

Softbank Hawks won four consecutive games in the SMBC Japan Series 2026 to become the champions of Japan for the second year in a row. On the 28th broadcast of Fuji TV ONE's Professional baseball News 2026, the commentators named this season's fielder MVP.

Kenichi Yazawa focused on their mobility, stating, 'It really comes down to Ukyo Shuto and Taisei Makihara. Makihara has 11 stolen bases and Shuto has 30, so between the two of them they have 40 stolen bases; it is this sense of speed that makes the Softbank Hawks what they are.' Yutaka Takagi also commented, 'That applies to the defense as well, including things like their defensive range.' Yazawa specifically noted, 'Makihara is also strong in clutch situations; I think he has qualities that cannot be measured by numbers alone,' while Takagi evaluated him by saying, 'He is the only one whose batting order changes constantly. However, when he fits into a spot, he performs the job required for that role.' Yazawa agreed, adding, 'He shows his clutch hitting especially when he fits into the number six spot.'

Hatsuhiko Tsuji mentioned Tomoya Masaki, the Japan Series MVP, saying, 'Having Tomoya Masaki in the leadoff spot really added weight to the lineup, and they have become truly strong. His performance was wonderful.'

Furthermore, Mr. Tsuji stated, "Then there is the number four hitter, Ryoya Kurihara. This is the first time he has been able to work a full season without injury, isn't it? He was wonderful." Mr. Takagi praised him, saying, "He is the immovable number four. He fulfilled his duties as the cleanup hitter perfectly and left behind the stats to match. He won the double crown for RBI and Home Runs, which I think is fantastic. At the start of the season, I felt it would be good if he hit 30, but he reached 40 in no time; it was brilliant." When Mr. Yazawa pointed out, "He conquered the fastballs on the inside. I thought it might be a bit difficult for Kurihara, but he did it this year," Mr. Tsuji revealed, "I spoke with him during practice in Yokohama. He said he is always conscious of hitting strong line drives toward right-center field. That makes him just like Kensuke Kondo, doesn't it? He said that by hitting with that image, he became able to hit strong drives to left-center as well, and that was the biggest change for him."

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