Nippon-Ham is aiming to win the league championship for the first time since 2016. Since manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo took over in 2022, the team has finished last for two consecutive years, but the young players they have been using more aggressively during that time have begun to produce results, and since 2024 they have finished second for two consecutive years, putting them within sight of winning the league championship.

In order to win the league, the stability of the "KJM" team of Kotaro Kiyomiya, Yuki Nomura, and Chusei Mannami, who have all grown into regular players, will be important.

When these three start hitting, they show incredible hitting power, but when the hits suddenly stop, their fragility is also apparent.

▼KJM's results last season

Kiyomiya: 138 attempts, rate .272, 12 points, 65

Nomura: 101 attempts .268 8 points 35

Manami: 127 attempts, batting average .229, 20 homers, 56 runs

Kiyomiya was second in the league with 143 hit and 65 RBI, but considering his impact from August 2012 onwards, it wouldn't have been surprising if he'd hit even more in 2013. Manager Shinjo had Nomura named him the opening fourth batter at the F FES the previous year, and he got off to a strong start, hitting two Home Run in one game right after the season began. Through May, he had a batting average of .291 with Home Run and 17 RBI, but in July his average was .174. He returned to a .324 average in August, but his performance was inconsistent throughout the season. Mannami also hit 20 Home Run runs, but his batting average shows periods of success and failure.

In addition to Reyes, who is the core of the batting lineup, there are other players who can hit, such as Yuya Gunji, Shun Mizutani, and Yua Tamiya, but when Kiyomiya, Nomura, and Mannami become true regulars, the team will be able to see victory in the league.