"There is a part of me that is growing first of all in being able to throw, and there are many positive things that come from being able to throw. I hope to establish my pitch as I throw. I think there is more of my pitch up there, so I want to work hard to make my pitch there."
Lotte's third-year high school graduate, Yuto Kimura, has pitched 15 inning in 4 games since the exhibition games in February. This is a significant increase from the 3 games and 5 inning he pitched in practice and inning games at the same time last year.
Last season, his second year as a pro, he pitched 22 games and 68 innings, going 3-2 with 5 hold one save and ERA a 3.31 ERA. It was a year of gaining real-world experience as a starter and reliever. Last offseason, he has been seeking fastball strength, and this offseason, "I still have to be able to throw straight, so I trained hard so that I can improve my strength by one or two more," he said, seeking fastball strength without blinking.
During the spring training camp in Miyakonojo, he entered bullpen on February 3rd and pitched in live batting practice on the 7th. He threw a total of 20 pitches to Toshiya Toshiya Sato and Fumiya Misho Nishikawa, closer them to just three hit. He himself was not satisfied, saying, "Honestly, the feeling of throwing my fastball wasn't good, but towards the end, I started to get the rotation and sharpness of my fastball, so I want to be able to throw that ball at least to a minimum. My breaking ball still need work, so I want to fix them with practice."
"I want people to see my pitching, and my strengths are my sharp fastball and my ability to get ahead in count with any pitch, so I hope to showcase those and give the best possible performance," he said, expressing his enthusiasm for the upcoming exhibition games. He started in the team's first exhibition game against DeNA on February 14th closer two runs innings.
He pitched three runs innings against Rakuten Eagles on February 21, allowed only two runs in four innings against Seibu Lions on February 28, and threw 79 pitches over six innings against Orix Buffaloes on March 10.
In his appearance that day, 11 of the 15 pitches he threw in the first inning were fastball. When asked if he intentionally threw more fastball, Kimura explained, "My theme for the game against Orix Buffaloes was to throw breaking ball first and then off-speed pitches. I thought that if I couldn't throw breaking ball well, my off-speed pitches wouldn't follow, so I started by throwing fastballs, regardless of whether I got hit or closer. It was my first time facing Orix Buffaloes this season, so I made sure to throw my fastballs well before the game started."
Regarding his current fastball, he said, "My accuracy is not very good, but I think I am throwing my ball when it is thrown on the course, and there was a little variation in the Orix Buffaloes game, but if I can make good adjustments there, my straight runs will improve. I think it's a great area to correct, and I think it's also my point," he said in a self-analysis.
This spring, the vertical curve is good. In the Orix Buffaloes game on the 10th, the 119 km vertical curve on the 5th pitch that finished Keita Nakagawa with 2 balls and 2 strike to a swing struck out in the 4th inning of 1-2 with one out and one base, and the 121 km vertical curve on the 5th runner pitch that finished Tomoya Mori from 1 ball 2 strike to struck out without a 1-2 out, one out and one out, and 1-2.
"I'm able to throw both slow and fast curves, and I can distinguish between them well. I can also distinguish between pitches that will get me struck out and pitches that will get ahead count. It makes pitch much easier, and I think it's good that I can throw pitches that will get me struck out," he said, feeling confident.
change-up which he started throwing after August of last year, was something he was experimenting with during the spring training camp in Miyakonojo, saying, "I've changed the grip a little, and I want to try out various things while thinking about it, so I want to try changing the grip a little and do that." However, since the start of actual games, he has been able to throw the ball as he envisioned, saying, "I can't say it's complete yet, but I'm able to visualize it as I throw it, and I'm able to visualize it dropping and disrupting the timing, so that alone will broaden the range of pitch. The feeling when I throw it is not bad."
The new season is about to begin. "I don't think I can change anything now, so I'll review my pitching once again. My fastball is my strong point. My strength is that I can throw pitch without putting too much effort into it. I want to reaffirm that, and also focus on the accuracy of breaking ball and pitches that throw off the batter's timing, so I want to be well-prepared until opening day." He's shifting into high gear for the season.
Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita
