Nippon-Ham manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo (54) announced on the 2nd that he would raise the evaluation of self-sacrifice and reform the way ESCON plays. He inspected the Red vs. White game, which was held in Kunigami, Okinawa, and featured mostly young players. He praised the scene in the third inning of the Reds, when Narama grounded out to second base with a 0-2 count and one out, scoring a run. He said, "This year, I'm rated at about three RBI. I've asked the front office to raise my evaluation. If ESCON plays a point-scoring performance like, 'Nice team batting! Get a raise!', it will make the players happy." He stressed the importance of self-sacrifice.

On the first day of camp, the players practiced hitting grounders to shortstop and second base indoors, ensuring they were fully aware of team batting. Narama reflected, "I'd like to get some hits myself, but my first priority is to score runs for the team." The manager said, "This year's tryouts are at a high level. It's the highest level of competition, with players' careers at stake." This is his fifth year in charge. Shinjo's precise baseball is becoming even more precise.