Lotte's Ryusei Terachi pushed his lower body to the absolute limit during the Miyakonojo autumn camp on the 14th.

During defense practice, he said, "It was quite tough (lol)," as he took grounders at second baseman that sent him diving to the left and right, and even after the team practice ended, he continued to move his feet during special defensive drills.

"I think the morning weight training was the toughest part, so I believe that's where the results came from," he said with a smile.

Regarding his batting practice, his tee-batting sessions are longer than those of the other players. It is clear that the team has high expectations for his hitting. When asked if he felt any pressure from being expected to hit, Terachi gave a reliable response: 'I felt that myself this year, but I think there were parts of my performance that suffered because I felt it too much. Next year, I hope to manage that better by knowing when to push and when to relax.'

In any case, Terachi's practice volume is incredible. He gets his uniform covered in mud during special defensive drills, and immediately after, he returns to the Pie no Mi Dome to swing his bat, saying, 'Most importantly, I'm here at the end looking back on and practicing the good form I had in the second half of the season' so that he doesn't lose that feeling. Even during the Miyazaki Phoenix League in October, he reportedly continued his batting practice silently at the Pie no Mi Dome after games.

Looking back, during batting practice at this time last year, he was hitting in various ways: holding the bat a bit shorter with a no-step stance, then after a while, holding it short while lifting his leg, and then holding it long while lifting his leg. This autumn, there is none of that. This is because the direction of what he needs to do has been firmly established.

Compared to last year, it seems like he will be able to transition into the off-season in good shape this year.

I suppose there is a bit of that.

Last season, his second year out of high school, he showed great performance with the bat and even played in the All-Star game. While expectations grew for this season, he ended up with disappointing results, despite improving his condition toward the very end of the season.

Because I experienced such a frustrating season this year, I have to make sure it leads to something next year. I want to ensure I can achieve good results next year. There is only one day left of this fall camp. I hope to work hard during my independent winter training. To avoid feeling this same regret again, he will simply continue to swing the bat.

Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita