The 17th is the second consecutive tournament Softbank Hawks Kensuke Kondo outfielder (32). In the last tournament, he played as the second right fielder in front of Ohtani in all games and became an indispensable presence in the world. Japan's proud hitting craftsman changed his batting form as a countermeasure against this off-season and fastball. To the WBC, where there are many fastballers, he revealed his determination to play a connecting role in this tournament as well. He is winning three consecutive major international tournaments. The "winning contractor" is in full rotation both offense and defense. (Interview/composition = Tobuo Moriguchi)

In the 2011 tournament, he played in all seven games as the second batter and right fielder, batting .346 with an on-base percentage of .500. As an indispensable connecting player, he contributed to the team's victory in the world championship.

"It was an amazing experience, so I hope to be able to stand in that view again."

Last season, he underwent surgery on his lower back and suffered a series of injuries, limiting his appearances to double digits (75) for the first time in three years.

"For about two years, I thought I'd had enough. But last year, as (head coach) Ibata-san asked me about my physical condition and other things, I began to feel that I wanted to play and contribute to Japan's second consecutive victory."

During the offseason, he changed his batting form to keep his upper body higher, in order to counter high fastballs and hit fastballs closer to the plate. With the WBC approaching, he had no hesitation in making this change.

"I'm doing it because I think it will be better. I don't think it will all come together so quickly."

He attended the Miyazaki training camp with the goal of "preparing to produce results," and he felt confident with his new batting style, saying, "It doesn't feel bad." He is also looking forward to facing the US national team right-hander, who has a fastball over 160 km/h and a "sprinkler" that is a middle-of-the-road pitch that is splitter and sinker.

"When I watch pitcher Skeens (of the Pirates of the US Major League Baseball), I know he throws some powerful balls, so rather than being on guard, I want to step up to the plate and experience it for myself."

He has been in starting line-up lineup as the leadoff hitter for five consecutive games, from the send-off game against Softbank Hawks on February 22nd (Sunmarine Miyazaki) to today's game Orix Buffaloes. He boasts a strong batting ability that saw him win the double crown of Home Run and RBI in 2011, but in this tournament he is once again set to play a role as a link in the batting lineup.

"Naturally, the lineup will be centered around (Ohtani) Shohei. There are plenty of players who can score RBI and hit Home Run, so I want to show my strengths by getting on base and connecting with others. (What if I were to bat right after Ohtani?) I would totally refuse that (laughs)."

He will once again be teaming up with Dodgers pitcher Ohtani, his former teammate from his days with Nippon-Ham. He is also born in 1993, the same year as Red Sox pitcher Masataka Yoshida. As someone who participated in the previous tournament, he will also act as a bridge between the major league players and the NPB players both on and off ground.

"Someone has to fill that role, and it's important. It's encouraging to have players from the majors here, and I want to do my best as a representative of the NPB. I think we'll be a little standoffish at first, but I hope we'll become the best team by the end."

He is currently on a three-time winning streak in major international tournaments, having won the Premier 12 in 2019, the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, and the WBC in 2023. The "unbeatable man" leads his team to joy. =End=

◆Kondo Kensuke (Kondo Kensuke) Born August 9, 1993, in Chiba City. 32 years old. After graduating from Shutoku Junior High School (Tokyo) he went on to Yokohama High School (Kanagawa) and joined Nippon-Ham as the fourth pick in the 2011 draft. In December 2010 he transferred to Softbank Hawks as a free agent, and in his first year he won two batting titles with 26 Home Run and 87 RBI. His career stats are a batting average of .307, 646 RBI, and 107 Home Run in 1,361 games. He is 171 cm tall and weighs 87 kg. He throws right-handed and bats left-handed. His annual salary is 550 million yen. He is married.