Lotte's first draft pick, pitcher Genki Ishigaki (18) of Kendai Takasaki, pitch in bullpen for the first time since joining the pros at the first-team camp in Miyakonojo, Miyazaki on the 3rd. He threw 15 pitches to a standing catcher, but manager Saburo (49), who was watching, praised him, saying, "He's a monster. He's on the same level as Roki," and there were voices of surprise from those around him.

It was 11:23 AM. The atmosphere became even more tense when Ishigaki Hajime, wearing number 18, appeared in bullpen. After warming up his shoulders, he began pitch. Carried on by the cheers of "Yes!" and "Good ball!" from the bullpen catcher, he threw a sharp ball into the mitt. "I'd say it was about 70 points. I wasn't nervous, but I did strain myself a little," he said, looking back on his "debut appearance."

There was no data on pitch speed or RPM, and Gen Ishigaki, who threw the ball, modestly said, "I think it came out to about 145 kilometers," but the conductor, checking from behind catcher, rolled his eyes. In a word, it's a monster. It's a little bit different. I think he is in the class of Akinori. The ball is amazing. Not only is he fast, but he is strong. （Mr. Tateyama (coordinator of the first team pitcher) said, 'I think the catch ball on his finger is stronger than Taneichi's.' His body is bigger than Roki's, but on the other hand, he throws the ball more strongly from a low point. He was surprised that Akinori's body is bigger than Taneichi's, but it is harder to hit a strong pitch from a low point, and it may seem faster.

Even the 007s of other teams have been impressed. Seibu Lions' first-team game analyst, Sano, commented, "His take-back is small, and the ball comes out suddenly. It reminds me of Imai who was with us," highlighting Imai's name, who was Seibu Lions' ace until last season and joined the Astros this season.

Sasaki, in his first year, entered bullpen on February 13th, 2020, unveiling himself as the Reiwa monster 10 days earlier than the "Reiwa Monster." The right-handed pitcher, who has a top speed of 158 km/h, said, "I want to increase the number of times I go to bullpen so that I can throw with 100% of my strength," revealing his limitless potential for growth. (Ami Shunsuke)