Seibu Lions Lions outfielder Seiya Watanabe (23) is poised to defy the "sophomore slump."

He joined the team in 2024 as the second overall pick in the draft from Osaka University of Commerce. It has been decided that he will start the season in the first team for the second year in a row, and he is fired up, saying, "I am grateful. Last year I had injuries during the season, but this year I have gone through spring training without any injuries, so all I have to do is produce results."

On this day, he participated in the team practice held at ZOZO Marine Stadium, the opposing team's home field for the opening game. Last season, his rookie year, he played in 109 games as left fielder, but this season he will be playing third base. Even so, he said he is not feeling any pressure, saying, "I'm surprisingly able to approach it with a calm mind."

In the baseball world, it's not uncommon to see rookies who performed well in their first year struggle in their second. Watanabe has also gone hit in seven consecutive games during the preseason, but he stated firmly, "There were some at-bats where the content wasn't good, but towards the end, the content itself wasn't all bad, and I've been able to settle into things since spring training. It's not all negative, and I feel like I'm growing, so I was able to adjust to that as well." He added emphatically, "There's a reason for (the sophomore slump). It can happen because you're being studied, and you might become conscious of those words or feel pressure. Not everyone goes through it, so I want to 'break' it. On the contrary, I want to enjoy the slump."