Orix Buffaloes pitcher Ryuga Sato (19) pledged on the 3rd to repay his debt of gratitude to a legend. The 151 km/h left-hander, who was part of The Giants Junior team in 2019 during his sixth year at Oto Elementary School, was coached by former The Giants player Tetsuya Yamaguchi (42). He renewed his determination, stating, 'It was a truly great inspiration. In the future, I want to surpass Mr. Yamaguchi.'

"Throw with confidence." What he learned from "Fujin," who was honored as the best reliever three times until his retirement in 2018, was the mental preparation needed on the mound. Keeping the words "If I demonstrate what I have, I can act as a closer" in his heart, he became the winning pitcher at the 2024 Spring Senbatsu with Ken-dai Takasaki. He reunited with his mentor, who served as The Giants' second-team chief pitcher coach until this season, at the Phoenix League in October. "Your fastball is really good. Now, why not just improve the control of your breaking ball?" those happy words resonated in his heart.

From this day, he participated in the autumn camp in Kochi. Stating that 'pitching stamina can only be built by pitching,' he plans to participate in the Asia Winter League in Taiwan starting on the 14th to work on strengthening his stamina. For his second season next year, his first goal is to make his debut with the first team. Like a dragon, he aims to soar straight up. (Shunta Nambu)