On the 10th, Seibu Lions pitcher Keita Horikoshi pledged for his second professional season next year, stating, 'I am still eligible for Rookie of the Year, so I want to aggressively aim for that title.'

The right-hander is currently participating in the fall camp being held in Izu City, Shizuoka. On this day, he worked up a sweat with bullpen pitches and stair sprints.

After graduating from Tohoku Fukushi University via Saitama's Hanasaki Tokuharu High School, he joined the Seibu Lions as a fourth-round draft pick in 2025. Due to a physical condition issue in his upper body, he began his professional career at the second and third-team camp in Haruno, Kochi, but made his first-team debut in the game against the Softbank Hawks on May 6th at Belluna Dome. He reflected on his first year with a sense of accomplishment, stating, 'Since my start was what it was, I honestly thought there was a possibility I wouldn't be able to pitch with the first team, but I was able to pitch at a fairly early stage and it actually worked, so that gave me some confidence.'

Heading into his second professional year, the challenge is 'control.' In the farm league, he appeared in 17 innings across 16 games and recorded 15 Walk. To improve his control, he discussed matters with Farm pitcher Chief Coach Doi this fall and began working on modifying his form. 'I have been changing my form since the Phoenix League in October to improve my control. My top priority is making that stable.' One of those changes is making the pitch motion more compact. He spends his days in trial and error, stating, 'Using my body too much was the cause of my unstable control, so I hope to make it compact with less wobbling.'

Horikoshi, a native of Hanno City, Saitama, is a genuine Lions supporter who was once a member of the Seibu Lions fan club. Reflecting on his record of only two appearances with the first team, he expressed his frustration, saying, 'I really wanted to contribute more to victories with the first team. That is what I regret.' Wearing the uniform he always admired, he aims to stay with the first team for the entire season next year. (Ayami Ohnaka)