On the 29th, the Rakuten Eagles announced that they will dispatch three players, Takumi Aono, Yuya Kishimoto, and Shion Otsubo, to the 2026 Asia Winter Baseball League, which will be held in Taiwan starting Saturday, November 14th.

▼ Takumi Aono

This year, I had injuries and it was a season where things didn't go as I had hoped. I will do my best to bring back some kind of breakthrough or feeling from this winter league to Japan so that I can perform well next season.

▼ Yuya Kishimoto

Many of my shortcomings have come to light this season, so I want to use this tournament as a good opportunity to properly face those challenges and level up. Additionally, I will do my best to absorb positive qualities from players of other teams and apply them to my future performance.

▼ Shion Otsubo

In the Taiwan Winter League, I want to face my own challenges and level up through a different environment and by facing different pitchers than usual. While refining my characteristic power hitting, I want to grow in all areas—hitting, defense, and base running—and play with a strong focus on results. I will do my best to ensure this experience leads to a standard player contract and success on the first-team roster. Thank you for your support.