Lotte's Aito made his first appearance in a first-team external game in an exhibition game against Orix Buffaloes on the 11th.

Aito started spring training with the Ishigakijima team and continued to play in the farm team even after external matches began. At the farm team, he had three hit two RBI, and two stolen base, including two timely hits, in a game Oisix on March 5th, and also had hit in the spring training league against Seibu Lions on the 7th. He said of his batting condition so far, "It's normal."

◆ Focus on hitting long balls without wavering

In preparation for this season, he has been practicing swinging the bat during the off-season. During the fall practice held at Zozo Marine Stadium after the end of last season, he said, "I've been learning batting from Asamura since my personal training, and I'm trying to make what I learned my own form." He continued to work on what he learned from Rakuten Eagles 's Hideto Asamura throughout the year, saying, "Anyone can hit home run by pulling the ball, but Asamura's specialty is hitting long balls to the right. I think the ultimate form is to pull the ball and have a high probability of it becoming home run, so I'm aiming for that and I'm thinking about how to hit it like this, so that I can hit the ball nicely and make sure it doesn't fly." During batting practice, he hit with the "long hit" in mind.

This year too, he plans to compete with a batting style that focuses on hitting long balls. "I'm continuing to do what I was taught until last year. Plus, I'm incorporating what I've learned this year, and thinking about it myself as I go along," he said.

◆ Lose weight

During the fall training camp in 2024, he resumed weight training for the first time in eight years, and in the three months leading up to February 2025, he lost 12 kg to weigh 86 kg, and maintained a weight of around 90 kg during the season. This year, he appears to be slimmer than last year.

"I've slimmed down once, and I'm not sure if my weight has changed that much since I lost weight, but everyone says I've lost weight, so I guess the fat has turned into muscle," he said. During the off-season, he lost weight to 86 kg, and now weighs 90-91 kg.

Last year he said he wanted to get his weight back down to 90kg before the start of the season. I wonder if he has the same vision for this year as he did last year.

"This year, I only weighed about 86 kg during my voluntary training, and when camp started I was about 91 kg. I wonder what happened, but now I'm back to normal and everyone is telling me I've lost weight, so I guess I'm not gaining weight in a bad way."

◆ Strong defense skills and base running awareness

Aito has shown high quality outfield defense at all positions, left, center fielder and right, and he also runs. He touched up from first base to second base on Koki Yamaguchi 's fly out to left with one out in the second inning of a 0-0 game against DeNA on April 25 last year, and he touched up from first base to second base on Rakuten Eagles 's fly out to right in the eighth inning of a 4-1 game against DeNA on May 23 of the same year. He is good at "going one base running ahead," as he touched up from first to second on sacrifice fly Seiichiro Oshita to Wright with one out bases loaded in the -1 8th inning and came back alive on Kazuki Fujita a timely hit. In bunting, he also decided on the first pitch on all four of his bunt opportunities last season, scoring on three of them.

He has excellent base running and defense skills, and if he can hit, he will definitely become a regular. This season, the manager will be replaced by Saburo, and this is an opportunity for Aito himself to change his position in the pecking order.

When asked about this, Aito replied, "Hmm," thinking for nearly 15 seconds, before thinking again, "A chance..." He added, "I want to do what I can, so that I don't have any regrets when it's over. I'm just thinking about doing what I have to do." Aito always says in interviews, "So that I don't have any regrets when it's over," and "I'll do everything I have to do to make sure that," and this year his attitude has not changed.

Looking ahead to the new season, she stated her determination, saying, "I got married last year and have someone to support. In terms of supporting my family, I feel that I have a responsibility and am aware of that. I want to keep that in mind at all times."

Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita