I was able to feel growth, but at the same time, I also found more challenges, so I believe there are areas where I can still improve. I think it was a season where I felt those kinds of things.

Lotte's Misho Nishikawa grew into one of the team's key players this season, his second as a professional, appearing in 136 games and recording a .290 batting average, 8 Home Runs, 53 RBI, a .745 OPS, and a .339 batting average with runners in scoring position, while also winning the title for most hits.

In his first professional season last year, although there was a period when he was removed from the first-team roster mid-season, he recorded a batting average of .311 from June 13 onwards. Ultimately, he finished with a .281 batting average, ranking fifth in the league, and hit a league-leading 27 doble, earning him the Pacific League Rookie of the Year award.

During the autumn practice at Zozo Marine Stadium held after the end of the 2025 season, he often spoke about the angle of his batted balls. In an interview on October 18th of that year, he mentioned that 'the trajectory hasn't been going up much lately,' but during practice on October 19th, he hit a ball that flew into the left lagoon seats, and in practice on October 21st of the same year, he hit powerful balls from the center fielder to the right.

"Angle and technique are the most important things, but I want to work hard on them this offseason." He continued to swing his bat during the offseason in preparation for the new season. "I was able to feel that my individual training was working well, and I think that I was able to show the results of that in today's (February 1st) practice," he said, feeling confident about the results of his hard work over the winter.

"Last year there were a lot of things I wasn't used to, but this year I'm used to some things, so I think that's different from last year," he said, having gotten used to the environment and looking forward to progressing through practice games, exhibition games, and regular season. However, on February 10, he complained of discomfort in his right forearm during defense practice and was diagnosed with a right forearm flexor muscle injury.

After joining the first team starting from the exhibition game against the Seibu Lions on March 13, he appeared in 8 games and recorded a .364 batting average, 1 Home Run, and 5 RBI, which included recording 2 hits in the game against the Seibu Lions on the 15th, his third exhibition game appearance.

I think the first thing that comes to mind is achieving better results than last year. The Best Nine and Golden Glove awards are titles I want to win; although I was able to win Rookie of the Year last year, I want to add some kind of title this year as well, and I intend to work toward the goal of becoming the leading hitter.

In the opening game against the Seibu Lions on March 27, he recorded his first hit of the season in his first at-bat. He then followed up with 3 hits and 3 RBI in the game against the Seibu Lions on the 28th, and recorded hits in six consecutive games from the Nippon-Ham game on April 1 to the Orix Buffaloes game on April 7, getting off to a start that showed no signs of a sophomore slump.

Clutch hitting

In early spring, his clutch hitting with runners in scoring position was brilliant. In the game against the Seibu Lions on April 12th, he said, "I felt like I hit it with pure spirit," as he stepped up for his fifth at-bat in the 9th inning with one out and runners on first and third in a 0-0 tie. On a 1-ball, 2-strike count, he hit a fastball thrown by Hakua Iwaki into left field for the go-ahead RBI single while breaking his bat. Then, in the game against the Orix Buffaloes on April 21st, during his fourth at-bat in the 6th inning with two outs and runners on first and second in a 4-4 tie, he skillfully adjusted to an outside 146 km/h cutter thrown by Kaede Yokoyama on a 1-ball, 2-strike count. Despite losing his balance, he hit a technical two-run timely doble down the right-field line for the game-winner.

At one point, his batting average with runners in scoring position exceeded .500, reaching as high as .526. When asked if he had changed his approach at the plate in clutch situations since last season, he said with emphasis, 'When there's a chance, I just focus on hitting the ball hard, and that's all there is to it.'

Extra-base hits that I have been particular about

Since entering May, there was a period in early May where no hit was produced, including three consecutive games without a hit from the Seibu Lions game on the 2nd to the Orix Buffaloes game on the 4th. However, in the game against Nippon-Ham on the 12th, during his third at-bat in the 6th inning with two outs and no runner while trailing 0-2, he said, 'I was able to bat exactly as I intended, that's the main thing.' He hit the first-pitch slider thrown by Hiromi Ito for a doble that split right-center field, a powerful hit characteristic of Nishikawa.

In the game against Nippon-Ham on the 14th, in his first at-bat in the first inning with one out and a runner on third base, he said, "I haven't been able to drive in RBI recently, and yesterday (the 14th) I wasted a lot of chances, so I went to the plate determined to get a hit. I'm glad we were able to score first." He hit the first pitch, a 151 km/ fastball thrown by Nippon-Ham 's Haruki Hosono, to right field for a go-ahead RBI single.

In the 3-1 sixth inning, with no outs runner and no outs, "I was able to hit it well on reaction. I was happy to score an extra run." Nippon-Ham- Hosono's second solo shot, a 150-kilometer fastball third pitch he threw from 1 ball 1 strike into the left home run lagoon.

Nishikawa hit a lot of angled pitches in fall practice at Zozo Marine Stadium last year, and has been working on focusing on certainty and long hits for this season. After the season opener, he said, "It's hard to get home run. I'm not really conscious of that during games, but as you can see from the numbers, I've only hit one, so I'm feeling that, but the swing I want to hit is gradually growing. I'm going to work on my confidence," he said in a post-match practice interview on May 13, his first Home Run since the April 15 Nippon-Ham match.

In the game against the Orix Buffaloes on May 15, during his fourth At Bat in the 7th inning with two outs and runners on first and second in a 3-3 tie, he said, 'I thought this was the only chance, so I went all-in on the fastball.' He hit the fourth pitch, a 152 km/h fastball thrown by Soichiro Yamazaki after a 3-ball 0-strike count, into the left-field stands for a decisive 3rd home run of the season, equaling his Home Run total from last season. Then, in the game against the Rakuten Eagles on May 22, during his first At Bat in the 1st inning with two outs and no runner in a 0-0 tie, he said, 'I went in thinking I would get a hit no matter what in the first inning, and I'm glad I could take the lead with a home run.' He hit the ninth pitch, a 137 km/h slider thrown by Urena after a 3-ball 2-strike count, to left field for his 4th solo Home Run of the season, marking a new personal season high.

In the game against the Rakuten Eagles on May 23rd, during his fourth at-bat in the 9th inning with one out and a runner on second in a 6-6 tie, he hit a game-winning single to left field off a 7th-pitch fastball thrown by Shoma Fujihira on a 2-ball, 2-strike count, despite getting jammed.

In the game against Hiroshima on May 26th, during his fourth at-bat in the 8th inning with one out and no runner on base and the score at 0-1, he hit a 155 km/h fastball on the fifth pitch from Hahn after a 2-ball 2-strike count for a ground-rule doble over left field. Then, in the game against Hiroshima on the following day, the 27th, during his first at-bat in the 1st inning with two outs and no runner on base and the score at 0-0, his doble down the right-field line off an inside 137 km/h cutter thrown by Shohei Mori was also excellent.

"I think the best thing was that I was able to land in a position where I couldn't see my right shoulder until the ball hit it," he reflected.

During pre-game batting practice, he had occasionally been hitting with almost no step in the early stages, saying, 'I've been practicing with an awareness of keeping my axis stable since the end of the exhibition games.' However, recently he has been adapting to his current condition, such as lifting his left leg high from the start, explaining, 'I'm doing it this way because I feel it fits better with my current balance.'

Although he had been playing left field since the start of the season, his opportunities to play right field increased after Kyota Fujiwara was sidelined due to injury. Regarding his defense in right field, Nishikawa said, 'There are still some parts I'm not quite used to, but I want to keep working to get more and more accustomed to it.' Nevertheless, he continued to showcase his usual fine defense, such as when he leaned against the wall and made a catch while colliding with it on Ryoto Kita's fly ball near the right field wall in the top of the third inning with the score 0-0 against the Orix Buffaloes on May 17, and when he made a diving catch on Naoki Sato's line drive down the right field line with a runner on first and no outs in the sixth inning while trailing 1-8 against the Rakuten Eagles on May 24.

◆ Increase in Walks

In the game against Yakult on June 3, he rose to the top of the league in batting average with .308, overtaking Ryusei Ogawa (Lotte). He recorded a 6-game hitting streak from the Hanshin Tigers game on May 30 to The Giants game on June 5, and an 11-game on-base streak from that same day to the Chunichi game on June 11. Although his monthly batting average for June was .257, he recorded an on-base percentage of .350.

In the three-game series against the Softbank Hawks starting July 3rd, he went 0 hits in 9 At Bats, but he reached base in two out of the three games, with one walk on the 3rd and three walks on the 4th, stating, 'Walks are important for maintaining season stats, so I am standing at the plate with a different mindset than last year.'

When asked why he's been getting so many Walk this season, Nishikawa offered his own analysis: "I'm trying to hit the balls I should be hitting. I'm not trying to hit everything, but rather I'm focusing on hitting the pitches I've narrowed down, and I think that's what's leading to Walk."

Even if a hit does not come in the first two at-bats, a hit comes from the third at-bat onward, or he gets on base with a Walk when a hit is not coming; his ability to make adjustments within his at-bats seems to be improving. "Since I can look back and see what is going wrong when things get bad, I reflect on it after each at-bat and work on it."

In addition, he has been keeping a notebook to review his performance since his first year as a professional last season, and I wonder if that is also related to the fact that the fluctuations in his performance have become smaller.

"Of course, I write in my notebook every day, and I did the same last year, so I look back at my notes from last year and do things like that. I have to keep incorporating the feelings from when things were going well. There are limits to what I can do in my own mind, so I've been accumulating hints in my mind since last year, and I'm doing that."

Selected by fan vote for the 'Mynavi All-Star Game 2026,' he made his first All-Star appearance as a pinch hitter for Reyes (Nippon-Ham) in the top of the 8th inning with one out and a runner on first, with the score 4-2 in Game 1 on July 28. He hit a Home Run into the left-center stands off the first pitch, a 153 km/h fastball thrown by Shinya Matsuyama (Chunichi). It was an extraordinary feat for his first All-Star at-bat and first hit to be a Home Run. He also recorded a hit in Game 2 held in Toyama, reflecting on the fulfilling experience by saying, 'It was a great time for me, and being able to hear various stories made it a good opportunity that will connect to my future baseball life.'

The fluctuations between good and bad performance are small.

Even when hit did not come after the All-Star break, he chose Walk and kept his performance fluctuations small, reaching base in 12 consecutive games from the Softbank Hawks game on August 12th to the Softbank Hawks game on August 26th.

I feel like I've been able to draw many Walk this year, and when hits aren't coming as easily as last year, Walk become even more important. While I'm in the middle of a game, I find myself wanting a hit, but when I look at the big picture, there are still times I deeply regret not being patient enough to take a Walk instead of being greedy. That happened a lot last year, so I'm trying to learn from that this year. After going hitless for three at-bats, I really want to get a hit in the fourth, which makes me prone to chasing pitches outside the zone. However, I'm consciously trying to stay patient and take the Walk. I believe that as I stack up more games, this approach will lead to better results, so that's what I'm focusing on.

I wonder if the experience from last year is paying off there.

I have that experience, and I've heard a lot from Kondo-san about how a Walk is absolutely essential to winning the leading hitter title, so I think it's really important.

Hitting coach Kenta Kurihara also smiled at his growth, saying, "I think the fact that his Walk are increasing is a sign of his development, and I believe he is now able to distinguish between fastball and balls and show patience, which is a difference from last year. I think last year, his desire to get a hit always ended up taking over."

In his second at-bat during the Nippon-Ham game on August 21, he reached the required number of plate appearances for the season. Since entering September, he remarked, "I don't think I'm doing that well myself, but within that, getting a Walk or a single hit is something everyone goes through, so I think getting a hit in those moments becomes important." Despite this, in his fourth at-bat during the Rakuten Eagles game on September 8, with two outs and a runner on first in the 7th inning while leading 2-1, he hit a 147 km/h fastball on the fourth pitch from Ryu Kutani—following a 3-ball, 0-strike count—into left field for a hit.

He reflected, "I think that one hit was huge. Following my plan, even though I was a Hit by Pitch in my second and third at-bats, I think I was able to make adjustments and switch my mindset for that fourth at-bat."

As of the interview on September 9, his plate appearances and number of hit were at career-high levels, but he aimed for even greater heights, saying, 'I am not satisfied at all and consider this just a passing point. I am always thinking about how I can hit more and more. I am acutely aware of my own shortcomings in my At Bat, and I must aim higher and higher. I want to keep doing more and more.'

Ultimately, he did not achieve his goal of winning the title of leading hitter, but in his second at-bat during the game against the Seibu Lions on October 6th, with one out and a runner on first base in the third inning trailing 0-2, he said, 'I had a lot on my mind, but I decided to just do and show everything I've practiced up to this point. I went in with that kind of determination. I'm really glad I could get a hit.' On the fifth pitch, a 148 km/h fastball thrown by Natsuki Takeuchi with a count of 2 balls and 2 strike, he hit a hit to left field that cleared the short stop's head, marking his 155th hit to tie for the league lead with Ryoma Nishikawa (Orix Buffaloes). Having secured the most hit title, he pumped his right fist as he headed toward first base.

In his second season this year, all of his numbers exceeded last season's, including plate appearances (586), hit (155), doble (28), Home Run (8), RBI (53), runs scored (109), Walk (41), on-base percentage (.353), and OPS (.745).

I still have a long way to go. I absolutely wanted to hit double-digit Home Runs, but due to my lack of skill, I couldn't do it. I see it as a challenge for next season and believe there is room for growth, so I want to keep working while staying positive about it.

Regarding what he felt was necessary to win the leading hitter title, he mentioned "walks," stating, "Walks are the most important factor."

"I want to be able to lead the team with my play, just like this year. Since I couldn't play in every game due to injury this year, I felt that frustration, and I have to carry that forward into next year. I truly want to become a player who can give the team momentum. By leading through my play, I hope to guide the team to victory." Although Nishikawa's battle for this season continues as he has been selected for the Japan national team for the 'RAXUS Asia Professional baseball Championship 2026', he intends to lead the team as a central hitter for The Marines next season.

Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita