It was revealed on the 22nd that Orix Buffaloes Buffaloes pitcher Soichiro Yamazaki (27) has gotten married. His wife is a woman one year older than him who is not a celebrity. After about six years of dating, they submitted their marriage registration in March, before the start of the season. The 160 km/h right-hander, who joined the team in the same 2016 draft as Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (27), is extremely popular, especially among female fans. With his beloved partner by his side, he is heading into his 10th year as a professional, aiming for a complete comeback.

Yamazaki's handsome face was constantly crumbling. "She's fun to talk to, and she loves to eat. When I see her happily eating and saying 'Delicious!', it makes me happy too. I want to build a peaceful home filled with smiles." They are already living together in Osaka Prefecture with their dog, Joe (1 year old), whom she named. "She looks a bit like actor Masaki Suda," he joked.

The proposal happened during the off-season in 2025. They went to Disneyland together. "We enjoyed Disney from morning till night, and we were both exhausted," he said, but when it was time to make the move, he did it perfectly. He had 108 roses, symbolizing eternal love, and a ring waiting for him in their hotel room. "Will you marry me?" he said fastball.

He joined the team in the same 2016 draft as his close friend and classmate, Yamamoto (Dodgers). In 2019, his third year as a pro, he underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. They knew of each other's existence back then, and she was the one who came to visit him while he was hospitalized. "Even when I was a developmental player and going through a tough time, she was always there for me..." Now, she puts a lot of effort into his diet, and when he was trying to gain weight, she would cook him two meals a day at night to support him. "She was thinking about all sorts of things regarding nutrition without me even knowing it," he says, and his "Omelet Rice with Thick Sauce," an adaptation of his favorite Tenshinhan (a type of Chinese omelet rice), is his source of energy.

In the last two years, he has played only 7 or 28 games, but in 2011, when he was selected for Japan's WBC team, he played 27 hold games in 53 games, the most in his career. He was also a torso pitcher in the game that decided the league's third consecutive championship. He was also a member of the team that won the league's third straight championship. "Considering my contribution to the team, I need to be entrusted pitcher with important things. I want to become a pitcher who can be entrusted with more important situations than that year and continue to do so for years to come. He finished the final game of the season Hanshin Tigers (Kyocera D) with a no-decision runs in the first inning, and he is sure to be one of the relievers in the first lineup for the season opener. With determination and responsibility, they will work together to make a full recovery.

◆Soichiro Yamazaki: Born June 15, 1998, in Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture. Age 27. At Tsuruga Kehi High School (Fukui Prefecture), he was on the bench from his first year in spring, and participated in Koshien in the spring and summer of his second year and the spring of his third year. He joined Orix Buffaloes in the 2016 draft as the 6th pick. He was added to the Japanese national team for the 2023 World Baseball Classic and experienced winning the world championship. His career record is 5 wins, 7 losses, 10 saves, 37 hold, and ERA 3.02 in 112 games. 190 cm, 93 kg. Right-handed pitcher and batter. Annual salary of 45 million yen.