Orix Buffaloes catcher Kenya Wakatsuki (30) prioritizes "self-sacrifice," as is typical of catcher. He is able to promise to make both tangible and intangible contributions thanks to the presence of Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (27), with whom he was a battery mate during his time Orix Buffaloes and with whom he will be reunited at the WBC. This is the seventh installment of "Samurai Talks on the Quest for a Consecutive WBC Championship." He expressed his gratitude to his partner and mentor, who have both achieved great success, and vowed to take on his first big stage with the spirit of a challenger. (Interview and Editing by Nagata Toru)

Wakatsuki's idea was simple.

"If I were with Orix Buffaloes, I would feel like 'I want to play in the games,' but the WBC is different. All I want is to win. I want to find a way to win, anything I can. Whether I'm playing in the games or not, I want to find that."

At the age of 30, he made his first appearance in the WBC and reunited with his former teammate.

"I'm more grateful to (Yamamoto) Yoshinobu. I'm not completely satisfied with that, but I've been able to receive all these awards because of Yoshinobu. His behavior, the way he speaks, and his appearance as an ace player are so perfect that I sometimes wonder, 'Is he just pretending to be someone else?' (laughs)"

During his time Orix Buffaloes, he teamed up with Yoshinobu Yamamoto and won the Best Battery award for three consecutive years starting in 2021. The best ERA in 2019 was the first title for the two of them.

"I wore the mask in every game that Yoshinobu started. As we got closer to the ERA title, people around me would say, 'Isn't it okay to runs through errors?' If Yoshinobu's title was at stake, I was willing to do just that. Of course, even if I wanted to, it's not something I could do..."

His two no hitter in 2022 and 2023 were also memorable events.

"His first no hitter was Belluna Dome. After the game, Yoshinobu bought me a cream puff. I wonder if he ate one? (laughs) I also have fond memories of revisiting the game in our room. I've never seen him lose his temper, and he's a junior I can truly respect."

Juniors who have scaled up even further in the US are also eagerly waiting to join forces.

"I'm looking forward to it. I'm sure he's improved. I'll be taking pitches from new pitcher while keeping the image of his time in Japan in mind. I'd like to keep an eye on him. Kikuchi Yusei's pitches are faster than when he was in Japan, and the percentage of balls he throws that drop has increased. I'll be watching as much video of pitcher as possible and preparing myself."

His weapon is not just his solid defense ability, but also his physical strength.

"When he was the manager, General Manager Fukura (Junichi) told me, 'An injury isn't about whether it hurts or not. It's about whether you can do it or not.' It changed the way I thought about injuries."

This marks his 13th year as a professional after graduating from high school. The presence of former manager Satoshi Nakajima was also essential to his growth.

"I learned to get rid of fixed ideas. I learned that there are many ways closer. I learned not to rely too much on small changes. I learned to use higher levels. I've learned a lot of things and I've kept them in my heart."

The team's goal of consecutive world championships is something else for Wakatsuki.

"This is my first WBC, so I'm a total challenger. I try not to watch too much footage of past games. Even if I'm not playing in the games, I want to respond to the voices and requests of the starting catcher. I want to join forces with Nakamura and Sakamoto and win the championship."

◆ Wakatsuki Kenya: Born October 4, 1995 in Kazo City, Saitama. 30 years old. While at Hanasaki Tokuharu High School, he lost in the first round at Koshien in the spring of his third year. U-18 Japan National Team member. Joined Orix Buffaloes as the third pick in the 2013 draft. Has won the Best Battery Award with Yamamoto Yoshinobu (currently with the Dodgers) for three consecutive years since 2009. Received his first Golden Glove Award in 2011, and won both the award and Best Nine in 2013. 180 cm, 88 kg. Throws and bats right-handed. Annual salary: 180 million yen. Married.