Orix Buffaloes manager Mamoru Kishida showed no concern for pre-season predictions on the 26th, the day before the season opener. When reporters asked him about the many online news outlets predicting a third-place finish, he couldn't help but give a wry smile. "Well, I don't really think about it like that (laughs). I don't really know either. You never know the outcome of a competition until it starts," he emphasized.

He continued, "I don't really watch the news, so I'm not sure. (Is a third-place prediction just right?) That's one way of thinking about it, you're right (laughs). Rather than feeling pressured, that might be a good thing," he said, relaxing his shoulders.

Last season, in his first year in the position, he won the season opener Rakuten Eagles on March 28 (Kyocera Dome Osaka) with a walk-off hit by Wakatsuki, and with the momentum he built, he became the fastest player in both leagues to reach 10 wins. I'm sure all the teams are thinking the same thing. （If it is the same as last year, it will be easier for the team to ride the momentum. I think it will be easy to ride the momentum, too, so I will do my best.