【Buffaloes Inside】
"I was trying to do too many things at once, and my head was about to explode. I didn't know what was good anymore, so I thought that if I could cut things out, I might be able to go in a better direction. I think it's important to think simply." On March 22nd, the day all the exhibition games were finished, Kurebayashi was the last to appear in the underground parking lot, carrying a bag with two bats stuck in it, and he spoke quietly.
Kurebayashi joined Orix Buffaloes in 2019 as the second overall pick in the draft, a shortstop with a strong arm and powerful short stop, after graduating from Suruga Sogo High School. He had a wide defense range and throw, and in his second year, he secured a starting position on opening day, hitting 10 Home Run runs and clinching his place starting line-up. He won the Best Nine award in 2023 and the Golden Glove award in 2025, but in the preseason games before his seventh season, he played in 11 games, going 2-RBI-28 At Bat 2 hit and a batting average of .071, a significant setback.
In the final game of the open tournament, he started as "No. 8, Yugi," but hit a pitching error double play in the first at bat with no outs, fell to a triple in the second at bat, and was told to substitute Tomoya Noguchi infielder with a one-run lead and two outs in the seventh inning.
"(Is this something to be motivated by?) I think I have to feel that way. If I were the manager, I would have sent in a pinch hitter there. Considering what I did at the plate, I think it's unavoidable." Noguchi, who is competing with Kurebayashi for the shortstop position, responded to the bench's decision by hitting a single to center field, so Kurebayashi had no choice but to suppress his frustration and accept reality.
However, there were also some positive takeaways. He said that his batting slump allowed him to view himself more objectively. "Before, when I couldn't hit, I would get mad and lose my ability to think rationally. That might have been what motivated me to keep going, but in the long run, it just leads to repeating the same mistakes over and over. If I looked at it subjectively, I would think, 'Why can't I hit this well?' and then my emotions would get the better of me. Now, I've learned to think that I'm not focusing on that."
He reached the required number of plate appearances for five consecutive years starting from his second year, but Home Run total peaked at 10 in his second year, indicating he wasn't fully utilizing his impressive 187cm, 94kg physique. "I've had similar results for many years. I think I'm improving little by little, but the one thing that's preventing me from breaking through is that my emotions and way of thinking (which prevent me from staying calm) are getting in the way. If I could stay calmer, I think the content of my next at-bat would have been different. I want to reduce the number of times I regret something afterward. I don't know what the right answer is, but I want to change myself more, so I want to work on that properly," he said, reflecting on himself.
"I think he's getting better. He's still pulling off breaking ball and hitting fly balls when they slip out, but he's gradually getting the hang of it. He'll be fine," said hitting coach Kazuki Shimamura, who mainly works with the first team, sensing signs of recovery. "He's not hitting well right now, so he needs to be more objective and not get emotional about it. If he thinks about it properly, his approach will be different from before, and I think that will help him throughout the season." When he breaks out of his slump, we should see a different Kurebayashi than before.
Interview and text by Masaki Kitano
