Since the second half was particularly good, I feel like the first half was a waste. For two years in a row, I've been a slow starter and haven't been able to get the results I wanted at the beginning. I think that is also an issue to address.

Lotte's Kyuto Ueda appeared in 66 games this season, recording a .243 batting average, 8 Home Runs, and 16 RBIs. However, his OPS improved from last year's .610 to .724, and since being promoted back to the first team on June 10, he finished the season with promising results for next year, posting a .267 batting average, 6 Home Runs, and 14 RBIs.

In an interview last autumn, Ueda said, 'Mr. Nishioka taught me that my contact point was too far forward, which reduced the time I had to see the ball. He pointed out that while there are balls I should be able to judge, I end up swinging at them. So, during the Miyakonojo camp, I worked on my batting while being taught how to bring the contact point closer while still generating power.' Having passed through the winter, at the Miyakonojo spring camp, he expressed a positive feeling, saying, 'I feel like I've gained more power, but there are times when it doesn't translate well into my hits. I'm receiving advice on that from Tsuyoshi Nishioka and Kenta Kurihara, so I hope to connect everything together effectively.'

Looking ahead to this season, he set improving his "OPS" as one of his goals, stating, "Last year, there were many instances where I swung at pitches I wasn't good at when I could have taken a Walk. There were also times when I went for a single hit when I should have been aiming for more extra-base hits. I think those are the areas I need to focus on" regarding what is necessary to raise his OPS.

He expressed his enthusiasm for the practice games and exhibition games, saying, 'First of all, I want to work on consistently hitting for extra bases.' He made a strong impression with his performance in games against other teams through March 1st, recording a .421 batting average, 1 Home Run, and 5 RBI, including a shot into the right-field stands during a practice game against the Lotte Giants of Korea on March 1st.

In the exhibition games where competition intensified for the regular season opening, he failed to make an impression with a .080 batting average. Although he secured a spot on the opening day roster, he was removed from the first-team registration on March 29 without appearing in a game. In the four farm league games he played after his demotion, he said, "I wasn't really getting my timing right, so I was looking for something that suited me while trying various timing methods," and while searching for a timing that fit him by hitting with no step or lifting his leg, he recorded a .636 batting average, 2 RBI, and 3 Walk.

In the game Oisix on April 5th, he said, "As a team, we've been working on this since last fall's training camp, so I think we've been able to put it into practice as much as possible in actual games, and I hope to be able to show it in first-team games as well," and he actively tried to advance to the next base, including stealing two stolen base in one game.

Even when playing defense, he didn’t play his usual position at third base; instead, he played shortstop (second baseman). In the game against the Oisix on April 4, with the score 5–2 in the eighth inning and two outs, he made a backhand stop (catch) on a ground ball hit by Tensuke Higa (runner) toward shortstop (second baseman) and threw it to first base for the out."I don't think that far ahead; I just focus on taking it one pitch at a time and getting one out at a time."

When he was playing as a second baseman on the farm team immediately after the season opened, he said, "I think one of the good things about being a second baseman is that you can see the catcher's signs, so I move in my own way while watching them," and he showed good positioning, turning hits that looked like they would get through into outs.

He demonstrated his growth in all aspects of the game—batting, running, and defense—and was called up to the first team again on April 10.In his first appearance of the season that same day against the Seibu Lions, batting third in the lineup (second baseman), he took the field at starting line-up. In his second at-bat, he hit a doble, marking his first hit of the season. In the game against the Seibu Lions on the 12th, he achieved his first multi-hit game hit of the season. Although he got off to a good start, after this hit, he failed to hit, and on April 23, he was removed from the first-team roster for the second time.

He played in eight games in the minor leagues again, impressing with his batting average of .313, and was promoted to the first team for the second time on May 8th. He immediately got two hit in the game against Softbank Hawks that same day, and the following day, the 9th, he had his first Home Run of the season and recorded multiple hit in two consecutive games, saying, "I was able to think simply and time my swings well. I'm glad it turned out well."

In the game against Nippon-Ham on May 12, he said, "I didn't think too much about it, I just went for the timing of the fastball and was able to hit slider like that, so I think I'm in good condition and I hope to continue like this. (At Zozo Marine Stadium) Come to think of it, this is my first time. I'm glad I finally got a hit at Marine Stadium." In his third at-bat in the 7th inning with no outs and no runner on base and the score 1-2, he hit his second home run of the season, a solo shot to right field off the second pitch, slider thrown by Hiromi Ito after one strike, to tie the game temporarily.

After failing to record a hit for five consecutive games starting from the Nippon-Ham game on May 13, he was removed from the first-team roster for the third time on May 28. Following his demotion, he was dominant in the farm league. In the second-team game against Hiroshima on May 29, with a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth and Ryoju Okamura on first base with no outs, he completely timed Taiki Kudo's pitch motion to record a stolen base. Then, in his fifth at-bat in the eighth inning with two outs and runners on first and third and an 11-2 lead, he hit a three-run home run to right field off the first pitch, a 115 km/h curveball thrown by Tatsuya Matsumoto.

In a game against Yakult Swallows' minor league team on June 6th, in the first inning with two outs and a runner on second strike, Aoyagi Koyo threw the fourth pitch, a high 138 km/h fastball, and the moment he hit it towards the right field foul pole, it was clear it was a massive two-run homer. He played in five games, batting .364 with Home Run and seven RBI, and returned to the first team on June 10th.

starting line-up He went hitless in the games against the Chunichi on the 10th and DeNA on the 12th, but in his second at-bat against DeNA on the 13th—with the score 0–15 in the fourth inning and two outs with runners on first and second—he drove a fastball pitch from Kentaro Shinoki (1 strike) into right-center field for an RBI single."I think it went well, and I want to keep working hard so I can keep this up," he said after delivering that "one hit" in a key moment.

In the game against DeNA that day, in his second at-bat with no outs and no outs in the fifth inning with a 1-2 tie, runner no outs, he said, "I was losing the whole time swinging straight, and Saburo told me to go straight, so I stood at the plate thinking about it. I got a good result, so I'm glad," said Shuto Ogata on the fourth pitch, thrown from 1 ball and 2 strike, throwing a 152 km/h fastball He hit his third solo to tie the score at the right pole.

He recorded a hit in three consecutive games starting from that day, and after entering July, he came on as a substitute for defense in the game against the Orix Buffaloes on the 11th and hit a Home Run. This was his fourth Home Run of the season, a personal best. He reached this career high in fewer plate appearances than the 184 he had last season. 'I am not really conscious of it, and while I think it is good that the home runs are coming, it is not a satisfying number yet, and I am not the type of batter who can consciously aim for them. As I focus on hitting for extra bases, I think it is a good trend that home runs are starting to come.'

When he appeared in the starting line-up as the 'number 7 first baseman' in the Orix Buffaloes game on the following day, the 12th, he recorded 2 RBI, and with 2 hits in the Seibu Lions game on the 14th, his stats for July were a .273 monthly batting average, 2 Home Runs, 6 RBI, and a .788 OPS.

From the Seibu Lions game on August 4th to the Softbank Hawks game on the 13th, he recorded a hit in six consecutive games. Looking only at the results, it seemed as though he was able to demonstrate what he had been working on, but he shook his head and said, 'I don't think I've been able to do anything satisfying yet.'

Regarding the reason, he said, "When I was given the chance to play in consecutive games, there were some fluctuations in whether I got results or not, so I want to stabilize that," noting that he had no hits in the games against Nippon-Ham on August 1st and 2nd. He remained calm, stating, "I also feel within myself during the course of playing games that my extra-base hits have decreased a bit because I've been too eager for a hit, so I think I have to keep going without changing my stance."

In an interview on October 26th last year, he stated, "I want to win a position at third base, so I am working with the goal of taking that spot." He had aimed for the regular third base position since the autumn practices held at Zozo Marine Stadium last October. However, as Ryusei Terachi, who is registered as a catcher, had been playing as the regular third baseman since the start of this season, he often appeared in the starting line-up as a second baseman or first baseman.

In July and August, his appearances at his primary position of third base increased, as he stated, "I have been playing with the mindset of being a regular in the starting line-up at third base all along, so I want to make the most of this opportunity." On the other hand, he also mentioned, "Right now (as of the August 9 interview) I am playing third base often, but I want to continue preparing so that I am fine no matter where I play defense." During pre-game practice at Zozo Marine Stadium, he was seen practicing defense not only at third base but also as a second baseman.

In August, he recorded a monthly batting average of .262, 2 Home Runs, 3 RBI, and an OPS of .763, but his playing opportunities decreased as September began. Nevertheless, there is value in the fact that he produced results when given the chance to be in the starting line-up at the very end of the season, recording 2 hits in the Rakuten Eagles game on September 29, 2 hits in the Nippon-Ham game on October 1, and 2 hits in both the Rakuten Eagles game on the 4th and the Seibu Lions game on the 5th.

Ueda himself spoke with conviction, saying, 'In the second half of the season, with the number of remaining matches becoming clear, I felt I really had to stay focused. I approached the games by concentrating on what I needed to do without worrying about the results, and I think that led to a positive outcome.'

In the first at-bat of the game against the Rakuten Eagles on September 29th, with a runner on first and no outs in the second inning and the score at 2-1, the doble that broke through left-center on the third pitch—an outside fastball thrown by Tatsuki Ito after a 1-ball, 1-strike count—was excellent. "At that time, I entered the batter's box thinking about not being overpowered by the fastball and focusing on my own swing and timing to execute my swing."

In the game against the Softbank Hawks on October 3rd, during his third at-bat in the 8th inning with no runners out and the score at 0-1, he hit his 8th solo Home Run to right field off the 4th pitch, a 133 km/h change-up thrown by Haru Matsumoto after a 2-strike count, demonstrating his ability to hit a Home Run even against a left-handed pitcher, which had been a challenge for him.

Reflecting on the game, he said, "I hadn't been able to get a good start against left-handed pitchers, so I entered the game focused on doing whatever I could to keep the momentum going for the next play."

He made a strong impression with his bat in the final stages of the season, but while he was clutch in his first and second years with scoring position batting averages of .357 and .333 respectively, he dropped to .184 this season. One wonders if this was due to a change in how opponents approached him.

Looking back at the results, there were many instances where the pitch sequences were actually quite easy to read. I think a big part of it was mentally putting too much pressure on myself to get a hit during scoring opportunities. While I feel my batting improved in the latter half, I struggled to deliver in those memorable, high-leverage moments. Moving forward, I want to do more than just hit; I want to swing aggressively in those key situations that leave an impression and prove my value to the team.

Since last autumn, he has been working on challenges such as 'dealing with difficult pitch types' and 'seeking extra-base hits while increasing consistency.' Will he continue to work on these same areas this autumn and further refine them?

Similar challenges have persisted since last year, so I want to eliminate those issues. I haven't truly been able to fight through an entire season yet. I hope to level up my batting so that I can become a reliable asset to the team.

He will participate in the Australian Winter League from November 8th to December 21st. During the Winter League, it seems he will be focused on addressing and overcoming his specific challenges.

My on-base percentage was low, and my response after being cornered in the count was weak. I want to figure out what kind of approach I should take once I'm cornered, and I also think this is a valuable opportunity to consider in what situations I can aim for a home run, so I hope to work on it while keeping those things in mind.

In terms of defense, at the very end of the season, he appeared as a second baseman rather than a third baseman or first baseman. He stated, "I haven't actually been told where I will be playing defense, so I think it's better to be able to play various positions for next year as well. Since I can gain game experience, I hope to perform well whether I am at second base, third base, or first base."

Regarding the defense of that second baseman, he said, "I'm still only focused on making sure I get the outs that should be caught. The next stage involves seeking speed, seeking strength, covering, and sign plays—there really is still so much more, so I hope to work on those areas as the next level of improvement."

Regarding the period after being promoted back to the first team on June 10, he finished the season with a sense of accomplishment, saying, 'I think it was good. I was able to pull the fastballs, and especially in the second half, I was able to draw Walk, so I think that was a positive point.' Next season, he aims to produce results from early spring and secure a regular position.

Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita