On the 29th, the Seibu Lions announced that for the purpose of player development, pitcher Masahiro Kawashimo, Asahi Taniguchi, and Koji Kaneko will be dispatched to the 2026 Asia Winter Baseball League, which will be held in Taiwan from Saturday, November 14th to Sunday, December 6th.

▼ Masahiro Kawashimo

I volunteered to participate this time because of a strong desire to experience baseball at various levels not only in Japan but also overseas, and to see how far my own abilities can take me. I want to build my pitch sequences around my weapon, the fastball, and consistently get swing-and-misses with it. Additionally, since this is a valuable opportunity to spend time with coaches and players from other teams, I want to proactively ask about their training methods and technical sensations to absorb as much as possible. My goal is to break into the first-team roster for next spring's camp, but first, I will do my best to achieve solid results in this winter league.

▼ Asahi Taniguchi

Over the past two years, due to injuries, my opportunities to stand in the batter's box in actual games and take part in defense were limited. I volunteered to participate in the winter league because I want to gain more experience and develop my game sense. My primary goal is to refine my batting and become able to hit for extra bases. Additionally, regarding the outfield defense I have been working on since this year, I want to polish my wide defensive range and my throw that utilizes my arm strength, so that I can reliably play all three outfield positions.

▼ Koji Kaneko

"I have been interested in the winter league since my first year, and because I want to gain various experiences in my baseball life, I volunteered to participate. This is my first time experiencing life overseas, so there are parts where I will be feeling my way through, but I want to make the most of each and every day. My primary goal for this winter league is to improve my hitting. Additionally, I want to communicate actively with players from other teams and liven up the team with my voice and energy. Through this experience, I hope to grow and return so that I can play with more confidence next season."