On the 1st, Orix Buffaloes outfielder Yutaro Sugimoto (34) sent a loving message of encouragement to his former teammate Masataka Yoshida (Red Sox). He is looking forward to reuniting with his younger brother, who is two years younger than him at Aoyama Gakuin University, in the warm-up game against Samurai Japan (Kyocera Dome) on the 2nd. "He's a great player, but he's hiding in Otani's shadow and not really standing out (laughs)," he said, scathingly teasing him.

They were drafted in the same year as the team in 2015, and in both 2021 and 2022 they contributed to the team's consecutive league championships as key players. In 2021, Yoshida, who mainly batted third, was the team's leading hitter with a batting average of .339, while Yoshida, who batted fourth, was the team Home Run king with 32 home runs. "We know how amazing he is. We want to show him off to the world." Knowing his overwhelming power, when he takes the right field position in a game, he declares a "Masahiro shift," saying, "I'll just stick to wall (laughs)."

"There are a lot of good players here. There's also Yoshinobu (Yamamoto), so there's a lot to look forward to," he said, intending to be fully stimulated. Raoh is spending a meaningful time in his 11th year as a professional, aiming for a string of ascensions. (Nambu Shunta)