◆ Pacific League League: Lotte vs. Seibu Lions (27th, ZOZO Marine Stadium)

Lotte's opening day pitcher, second-round draft pitcher Kaito Mori, threw 70 pitches over five innings, allowing only four hit and no runs, earning him the right to be win pitcher before leaving the game.

He took mound as the team's opening day pitcher for the first time in 76 years, since Yoshimi Ebara in 1950. In the first inning, he allowed runner in scoring position but managed to get out of the inning without giving up any runs. In the second inning, he retired the side in order, and in the bottom of the inning, the offense gave him the lead with a go-ahead RBI single by Matsukawa. In the fourth inning, Matsukawa hit his second RBI single, giving the team a two-run lead.

He retired mound in order in the fifth inning and was replaced without giving up any runs. If the rookie who started the opening game pitcher win, he will be only the second rookie in the team's history to achieve this feat, the first being Enohara 76 years ago.

◆Kaito Mouri, born September 14, 2003, in Fukuoka, age 22. He played for Fukuoka Ohori High School in the 2021 Spring Koshien Tournament, but lost to Tokai University Sagami in the quarterfinals. At Meiji University in the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League, he recorded ERA of 1.34 in last spring's league games, winning the Best ERA and being selected for the Best Nine team. He has a career record of 14 wins and 2 losses with ERA 1.46 in 28 games. He was drafted second overall by the Chiba Lotte Marines in 2025. 177 cm, 77 kg. Left-handed pitcher and left-handed batter. His estimated annual salary this season is 12 million yen.