On the 31st, Softbank Hawks pitcher chief coach and head coordinator Shinji Kurano revealed what he considers important for succeeding in the professional world for a longer period of time.

This season, Otsu, Haru Matsumoto, and Yuu Maeda each recorded 12 wins, achieving double-digit wins for the first time in their careers. While praising the contributions of the three players who supported the three consecutive Pacific League titles, Coach Kurano continued, "I think the second year after a breakout performance is truly difficult." He added, "They inevitably end up chasing their past selves from when they were at their best. If anything, it is better to create a new version of yourself. As the body changes, quite a few people suffer from the gap and see their performance drop if they keep seeking the past." Uwasawa, who also reached double-digit wins (10 wins) for the first time in two consecutive years, has fought through while constantly evolving things such as his arm angle during his pitch. "Anyway, first of all, I want to make sure I completely recover from this year's physical fatigue," he said.

He held a meeting at Mizuho PayPay Dome on this day with Maeda Yu, who started Game 4 of the Japan Series against DeNA and allowed 2 runs while pitching into the 5th inning. Nodding, he said, 'I felt his motivation is even higher because he must have been frustrated at the end. That alone is encouraging,' while repeating, 'First, he needs to fully recover from his fatigue for next year.'