Our ninth guest is Orix Buffaloes pitcher Ryuhei Sotani (25). When he was selected for the Japanese national team for the first time in March 2013, he learned from his teammate pitcher Hiroya Miyagi (24) the mental strength to produce results in a one-off game. He also learned the importance of "reconciliation," which led him to the big stage of the WBC. He was impressed by the evolution of his signature slider and looked forward to working together with Blue Jays infielder Kazuma Okamoto (29), who is also from Nara. (Interview and composition by Toru Nagata)

Soya seemed unable to wait for the WBC tournament to begin.

"The thing I hate most is not being fully engaged. I want to go all out. I want to give it my all."

He was in his fourth year as a professional when he stepped onto the big stage. His turning point as a member of the Japanese national team came on March 6, 2013, in a match against the Netherlands (Kyocera Dome).

"The atmosphere was completely different from anything I'd experienced before, and it felt like a one-shot deal."

5 pitcher by perfect game until he came on in the 8th inning. mound Just before heading to Orix Buffaloes, my colleague Miyagi whispered to me with a smile, "perfect game, isn't there one?" I whispered with a smile.

"Those words seemed light, but they were heavy. They were really heavy. I wondered if this is what it feels like to be a player who can achieve results in the world of one-shot matches. I don't think you can make such a statement unless you have experience. It made me realize that it's better to go all out rather than back down."

He pitched two innings, allowing one hit and no runs. Although he missed out on the team's success, he learned to "deal with it" on mound. On November 15th of the same year, he started in the game against South Korea (Tokyo Dome) and pitch a perfect three innings.

"I was able to think that as long as I didn't give up any points, it would be fine. With that mindset, I was able to achieve the best possible results."

slider, his greatest weapon, has become known as the "Jetsla" (Roller Coaster slider) due to its large curve. The friend who gave it the name, from his days at Hakuoh University, is now a police officer in the Kanto region.

"I think it was when I was in my third year of university. It all started when he told me, 'You can turn like a roller coaster.' I'm a weird guy... (laughs). But he was the one who encouraged me the most. He told me I could really go pro. He was the only one who believed in me. We're still good friends today."

During his time at Meisakura, most of his pitches were fastballs.

"I was confident in the curve of slider. But I had this feeling that I didn't want to hook it, and I didn't want it to slip. It was difficult..."

He practiced hard and went on to Hakuoh University, where an idea that was almost like an epiphany blossomed.

"It suddenly came to me: the idea that it's okay to just strike. It started from the point that all that matters is that I throw strike. I no longer think, 'It has to curve.' I think, 'It'll curve on its own, won't it?'"

During the training camp in Miyazaki, Darvish praised him.

"He told me, 'The ball you're throwing is really good.' When I looked at the data, I felt that I hadn't been playing baseball properly. Darvish taught me important things, including how to look at data, and it made me feel like I had to aim even higher."

He hails from Nara, just like Okamoto, and with a passionate "Japanese spirit" he is taking on the challenge of becoming the world's number one again.

"Okamoto-san speaks slowly and has his own unique way of speaking. He's interesting and captivating. There are few players from Nara, so I have a strong desire to contribute. I'll never forget that I'm the worst player. I'll do my best to repay the people who have supported me up until now."

◆Sotani Ryuhei (born November 30, 2000, in Nara Prefecture). 25 years old. After graduating from Meiso (Akita) and Hakuoh University, he joined Orix Buffaloes as the first pick in the 2010 draft. In his first year as a pro, win his first professional game on October 9, 2011, against Softbank Hawks (Kyocera Dome). In March 2013, he was selected for Samurai Japan for the first time in a game against the Netherlands. He also had a career-high eight wins in the season. His career record is 16 wins and 21 losses in 51 games, ERA of 3.25. He is 183 cm tall and weighs 83 kg. He throws and bats left-handed. His annual salary is 55 million yen. He is married.