Rakuten Eagles Eagles pitcher Kenta Maeda (37) participated in pitcher practice at Rakuten Eagles Mobile Saikyo Park Miyagi on the 30th, adjusting his pitching through catch practice and other drills.

In the Softbank Hawks match on the 31st, which will be the opening game of the home base, it will be the first regular season mound in Japan since the Chunichi match (Mazda) on October 7, 15 of the Hiroshima era, number 18. He has accumulated 97 wins in Hiroshima, 68 wins in the majors such as the Dodgers, and a total of 165 wins in Japan and the United States, but he will start again aiming for the number of "200", which has 35 wins left.

During an interview after practice that day, an "audio problem" occurred midway through the TV station's interview. A loud, music-box-like melody rang out in the stadium, causing a temporary interruption. However, he responded with a lighthearted smile, saying, "They're trying to help me relax (laughs). It's a thoughtful gesture from the team. I don't know what song it is, though. If it's no good, just cut it out."

He had a 0-0 record with a 3.18 ERA in three exhibition games. In the game Seibu Lions on the 17th of this month (at Belluna Dome), he delivered a masterful pitch strike out six innings, allowing only one hit and no runs while striking out six. In a minor league game on the 24th, he gave up six runs in the middle of the third inning, but he should be able to make adjustments.

Last season, after leaving The Tigers, he signed a minor league contract with the Cubs in May and played for the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate, Scranton, from August. After the season ended, he announced his intention to return to Japanese baseball in 2026. After a bidding war among multiple teams, including The Giants and Yakult he decided to join Rakuten Eagles. He chose number "18" for his uniform, inheriting it from Masahiro Tanaka (currently The Giants), a teammate of his age who played for the team until 2024.

At his signing press conference last December, he said, "I am prepared to end my career with Rakuten Eagles. I didn't choose this team half-heartedly," and added, "I want to lead the team to win in every game I pitch. I want many people to come to the stadium, and I especially want to become pitcher that makes people want to come to the stadium to watch Kenta Maeda pitch." The final chapter of baseball career is finally about to begin.

◆ Kenta Maeda: Born April 11, 1988, in Osaka Prefecture. Age 37. Played in Koshien in his first year (summer) and third year (spring) while attending PL Gakuen High School. Drafted in the first round of the 2006 high school draft by the Hiroshima Carp. Moved to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2015 offseason. Played in MLB until last season. Represented Japan in the 2013 WBC and the 2015 Premier12. Two-time Sawamura Award winner, two-time most win ERA strike out three-time Best Nine selection, and five-time Golden Glove Award winner. 185 cm, 83 kg. Right-handed pitcher, right-handed batter. Estimated annual salary this season: 150 million yen.