On the 29th, the Rakuten Eagles announced that Michihiro Ogasawara (53) will be appointed as the hitting coach for the next season.

Mr. Ogasawara joined Nippon-Ham as the third-round draft pick from NTT Kanto in 1996 and had a successful career. After declaring free agency following the 2006 season and moving from Nippon-Ham to The Giants, he hit 30 Home Runs for four consecutive years starting from his first year of transfer in 2007. He recorded 378 Home Runs over his 19-year professional career. His career batting average of .310 ranks ninth all-time. As an instructor, he possesses extensive coaching experience, having served as the Chunichi second-team manager for three years starting in 2016, the Nippon-Ham head coach in 2020 and 2021, and the second-team and third-team hitting coach for The Giants for one year each starting in 2022.

The team languished in last place this season. Their team batting average of .239 and 103 Home Run were both disappointing, ranking fifth in the league. Their 473 runs scored were the worst in the league. In addition to key hitter like Murabayashi, McCusker, and Tatsumi, there are many promising left-handed hitter such as Muneyama, Nakajima, and YG Yasuda, and expectations are high for further improvement with Mr. Ogasawara's support. The team is entrusting the task of improving their offense to "Guts," who was known for his full swings.

Michihiro Ogasawara. Born October 25, 1973, in Chiba City. 53 years old. Joined Nippon-Ham as the 3rd draft pick in 1996 from NTT Kanto. In 2006, he was the Home Run and RBI leader and the Pacific League MVP. In 2007, after moving to The Giants via free agency, he became the second player in history to win MVP in both leagues. He moved to Chunichi after the 2013 season and retired from active play in 2015. He served as the Chunichi farm team manager for four years starting in 2016, and was the head coach for Nippon-Ham in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, he served as The Giants' farm team batting coach, and in 2023, as their third-team batting coach. Career stats: 1,992 games played, .310 batting average, 2,120 hits, 378 Home Runs, 1,169 RBI. 179 cm, 86 kg. Throws right, bats left.