Lotte's third-round developmental draft pick, Ryo Sugiyama (Aichi Gakuin University), showcased his signature "speed" skills at the 'GLOBAL FRIENDSHIP SERIES 2026' against the Czech Republic national team held at Miyakonojo Koala March Stadium on the 23rd.
In the 4th inning of 0-1, with two outs and no runner, Shingo Ishikawa hit a doble to left, and Sugiyama appeared as a pinch runner for second base runner Shingo Ishikawa. Sugiyama stole the first pitch thrown by Czech Republic right-hander pitcher Hrukhov to Yuya Sakurai, completely stealing the pitch motion and scoring stolen base to third base.
At the new player introduction event held in December last year, Sugiyama was asked what he keeps in mind when stolen base bases, and he showed confidence, saying, "The start is the most important thing when stolen base bases. If I'm good at my feet and have a good start, I'll definitely be safe. I hope I can just focus on my start."
Furthermore, in the bottom of the 7th inning with the score tied 1-1, no outs, and no runner on base, he came up to second baseman and hit second baseman to second base, resulting in an out by the skin of his teeth. He had the momentum to turn a simple ground ball to second base into a safe call at first base. During the rookie joint training camp in January, he had said, "I'm incredibly fast at running to first base," but his speed exceeded expectations.
◆ Hone your batting skills during your university days
During his four years at university, Sugiyama honed his batting skills, saying, "Footwork alone is not enough. I focused on batting for four years."
When watching videos of his time in college, he got the impression that he was persistent in hitting foul balls and forcing the opponent to throw a lot of pitches. Regarding his own batting characteristics, he analyzed himself, saying, "Until now, I've always imagined the ball going in the opposite direction, but I think there will be times when I have to pull the ball when I become a professional, so from now on, I want to be a batter who can hit the opposite direction as a matter of course. Even when the opponent attacks inside, I will do my best to become a batter who can respond by firmly pulling the ball."
During batting practice during the rookie joint voluntary training, he practiced safety bunts. I wonder if safety bunts will also become a weapon.
"I don't think it's good to take the same turn at bat repeatedly on days when you're not doing well. For example, it's not good to second baseman second baseman base in your first at-bat and then again in second baseman second baseman, so if I'm having a day where I'm just grounding out to second base, I'll try to bunt a little bit in my next at-bat, so I want to be in a position where I can bunt at any time. I always try to have a few balls in the bat."
She also said that when she was in college, she wore a pink wristband, saying, "Pink is my favorite color, it stands out, and I like it, so I wore it." However, she added, "I would like to wear it professionally as well, but it overlaps with Mother's Day, so I think I'll stand out with my skills."
On the professional stage, he is enthusiastic, saying, "I want to be able to run, hit, defend, and play with my feet at any time. I want to focus on hitting." If he can produce results in batting, he has the speed and is likely to become a very exciting player.
Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita
