Seibu Lions manager Fumiya Nishiguchi (54) concluded his three-day inspection of the autumn training camp held at Shida Stadium in Izu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, on the 10th, expressing confidence by saying, 'I could see that everyone is pitching well and approaching their work with a clear sense of the challenges they need to address.'

This autumn, the Seibu Lions are holding training camps at three domestic locations: the usual sites in Nango, Miyazaki and Tokorozawa, Saitama, plus a new addition in Izu, Shizuoka. Twelve pitchers are participating in the Izu group.

The manager, who also observed the Phoenix League held in Miyazaki in October, saw the team finish the season in second place this year, but they were eliminated in the first stage of the Climax Series, which they had participated in for the first time since 2022. With the possibility of both right-handers Kaima Taira and Kona Takahashi leaving this off-season, the emergence of new talent is essential for a counterattack next season. Addressing the young lions training with Mount Fuji—the tallest peak in Japan—in the background, he encouraged them, saying, 'We need the pitchers here to step up and do their best.'