Lotte's Genki Ishigaki made his professional debut in a game against the Rakuten Eagles on September 17th during his first year as a pro this season, appearing in two regular season games for the first team.
On September 23rd, he said, "I think the power of my pitches is gradually improving, but there is still some inconsistency in how the ball feels off my fingers, so I am currently working on being able to throw a fastball that feels right on every single pitch." However, he is now spending his days seeking stability in his "pitching form," stating, "Rather than the condition of the ball, I am now working toward stability in my form, so I am prioritizing my form above all else right now."
In the Miyazaki Phoenix League held after the regular season ended, he pitched 4 innings, his longest since turning professional, in his starts against The Giants on October 17th and against DeNA on October 26th.
He offered some encouraging words, saying, 'Even though I say it was long, it was only four innings. I don't think I can fulfill my role as a starter unless I pitch at least five innings, so next year I want to work on being able to pitch through five innings first.'
In the game against DeNA on October 26th, his pitch selection was centered around his fastball from the start. Regarding the reason for the high number of fastballs, he explained, 'I think my best ball that day was especially the fastball, so I think I threw it a bit more often.'
In the game against DeNA on the same day, with the score 0-1 in the top of the third, the third pitch—a 124 km/h low curveball that dropped vertically to get a swinging strike from the lead-off batter Manato Tauchi after a 1-1 count—was excellent. 'I used to focus on a vertical drop for my curveball, but since the Phoenix League, I've been throwing it with a bit of a tilt, or rather like a vertical slider. It breaks at around 130 km/h, so lately I've been trying to throw it on a slant,' he said, expressing a positive feeling about the adjustment.
On the other hand, it appeared that he wasn't throwing many splitters during the Phoenix League. He remarked, 'Since it wasn't very good during the Phoenix League, I mainly focused on cutters, curves, and fastballs, but I feel I need to throw more forks as well.'
After finishing his first season and the Miyakonojo autumn camp, he will enter his first off-season. This period is extremely important for competing in the next season. 'First of all, since my weight and muscle mass fluctuated throughout this year, I want to focus this winter on making my body a bit larger and learning how to maintain that, while also building the stamina needed to compete in the first team for a full year.' He intends to prepare himself to fight through the entire year as he heads into his crucial second season.
Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita
