On the 26th, with the opening game against Lotte (at ZOZO Marine Stadium) the following day in which he will be the opening pitcher for the first time, Seibu Lions pitcher Yutaro Watanabe savored the feeling of being "a lucky man."
On this day, he participated in a full practice session at ZOZO. In his 8th year as a pro, he got his first major role as the opening pitcher season opener. "Only 12 people can experience the opening pitcher in a year, so I feel lucky. I want to feel that happiness. The other starter is a rookie, but "I don't have much information about him. It's not like I'm playing against Mouri pitcher, so I'm focusing on keeping up with the opponent's lineup and my own mentality. I'm not that conscious about it." He will take on the Lotte lineup head-on.
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![[Seibu Lions] Manager Nishiguchi expresses his enthusiasm for the start of his second season in charge: "I want this to be a breakthrough year for Yutaro. We want to play a style baseball where we can win by hitting and score as many runs as possible."](https://hochi.news/images/2026/03/26/20260326-OHT1I51305-L.jpg)
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