Seibu Lions pitcher Taiga Ueda (24) revealed on the 9th that he will work thoroughly on solidifying his form to improve the level of his fastball. Participating in the fall camp held in Izu City, Shizuoka, he adjusted mainly indoors after playing catch due to poor weather, but shared his goal, stating, 'I want a maximum of 155 km/h and to consistently stay around 150 km/h.'

In his third professional season this year, he appeared in 14 games as a reliever and recorded 2 wins and 1 loss, including his first professional win, with an ERA of 3.72. On the other hand, he identified a challenge, stating, "While my average fastball velocity had increased by about 4 or 5 kilometers compared to the previous year in early spring, it dropped a bit in the second half of the season." He is working hard on adjustments every day with pitcher coach Oishi, noting that "deviations in form emerge when pitching throughout the season."

Ueda joined the team as the second-round draft pick in 2023. While the first-round pick from the same year, Takeuchi, is currently representing the national team as a member of Samurai Japan, Ueda stated firmly, "I'm not really concerned about it." He added, "Natsuki (Takeuchi) is Natsuki, and I just want to do my best not to lose to him." After pushing through a rigorous autumn of training, he will welcome the spring having grown even stronger. (Ayami Ohnaka)