As practice games and exhibition games begin in the latter half of February, anticipation for the start of the season is building. For Pacific League fans who can't wait for the season to begin, Pacific League Insight introduces players to watch for the 2026 season. This time, we're looking at Orix Buffaloes The Buffaloes player Shuna Hori.

Shuna Hori Hori

Highly praised for his good footwork and strong arm, he joined the team as the fourth pick in the 2023 draft from Hotoku Gakuen High School. He is a young catcher, 20 years old, in his third year after graduating from high school.

In his rookie year in 2024, he played in 72 games in the minor leagues, batting .254. He had a particularly good September, going .310 with 13 At Bat in 42 hit. defense, he recorded a .288 stolen base base prevention rate with 15 successful attempts out of 52. It was a year in which he made his presence felt both offensively and defensively.

In 2025, he played in 79 games, but his batting average was .215, which did not produce the same results as the previous year. However, in defense, while defending 123 inning more, the number of errors and catches decreased. stolen base The blocking rate was also .394, which was higher than the previous year. In the first team, he made his first professional appearance on September 4th, and on October 3rd, he entered the first starting line-up with "No. 8 catcher". In the bottom of the first inning, he blocked a stolen base from a Taisei Makihara player, and also recorded his first professional hit in his second at-bat in the top of the fifth.

He started the 2026 spring training camp in Group B, but made an impression in the Red vs. White game on February 14th, blocking two stolen base with an accurate throw to second base. He also made an appearance in the practice game the following day, recording one hit in two at-At Bat. Will he be able to win trust with his offense and defense and move on to the first-team stage?