On the 10th, pitcher Futo Tsunoda (22) from Fuji University, who was selected as the first-round draft pick by the Orix Buffaloes, held contract negotiations in Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture, and signed a provisional contract with a signing bonus of 100 million yen and an annual salary of 16 million yen. He is a ready-to-use right-hander who has struck out many batters with a fastball reaching a maximum of 153 km/h and a variety of breaking balls. He confidently set his goals and showed awareness of his major role.

"I want to aim for Rookie of the Year and be able to pitch in the rotation from the start of the season. Within that, I think there will be opportunities, such as being the opening day pitcher." At the start of next season, the starting rotation will be without ace Miyagi, who is returning from surgery, and Yamashita. Regarding the heavy responsibility that Miyagi has carried for three consecutive years, Manager Kishida also emphasized that everyone is on equal footing, saying, "I want them to compete for it fairly."

His goal is Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Dodgers), who is highly successful in the Major Leagues. 'I hope to deliver pitches that overpower opponents even as a professional and achieve overwhelming results,' he said with sparkling eyes. This is the first step toward leaping from the Michinoku region to becoming Japan's 'Doctor K.' He will make his move without hesitation. (Toru Osada)