【Buffaloes Inside】

There was no special ritual at the dinner table for Orix Buffaloes pitcher Kaede Yokoyama. It was his first time making the opening day roster in his fifth year as a professional. Kaede Yokoyama pitcher breakfast consisted of a bento box prepared by his loving wife.

"It was the same as always. My wife, who works part-time, made me a bento box, and I took it to the stadium and ate it there," Kaede Yokoyama revealed with a smile after the first day of the season. For professional baseball players, the opening day is a special day, just like New Year's Day. Some families prepare a whole sea bream, either as a play on words with "medetai" (auspicious sea bream) or to symbolize their wish to see the season through to the end.

"I just want to do things as usual, and they prepare meals every day with the intention of helping me perform at my best. The meals are luxurious every day, so there weren't any special dishes." The menu for that day included rice, chicken and natto, fruit, simmered food, and soup. He says that the bento boxes, prepared with the help of a nutritionist, are the source of his power on mound.

Kaede Yokoyama is from Miyazaki Prefecture. He played for Miyazaki Gakuen High School, Kokugakuin University, and Sega Sammy before joining Orix Buffaloes in the 2021 draft as the 6th pick. He is a right-handed pitcher whose weapons are his fastball and fork, but he was released from the team in the offseason of 2024 and restarted his career on a development contract. In 2025, he mainly played as closer Western League and was re-registered as a regular player in July. Last season, he appeared in 14 games for the first team and earned 2 wins, including his first professional win.

Supporting him throughout his youth was his wife, a year younger than him, who was the manager of the opposing team during practice matches in high school. "She's been working to make up for the decrease in my salary. My wife is busy, but she's been working hard at housework, childcare, and her job, so I was able to work hard too," Kaede Yokoyama said, expressing his gratitude for her support.

His first appearance of the season came in the ninth inning of the season opener, a 0-10 one-sided affair in which he allowed back-to-back hits with one out but Rakuten Eagles Hiroto Kobukata infielder to fly out to center field fastball and Itsuki Murabayashi infielder to strike out cutter struck out, getting off mound with zero runs. I was the most nervous I've been since I joined the pro ranks. There was a point difference, but I pitched with the intention of going 0-0. I'm glad I was able to switch gears and make corrections after the second hit," he said with a look of relief.

In the third game, starter Daiki Tajima pitcher took the mound from the second inning when he left the mound with 2 runs, closer 1 inning to no runs and set the stage for a relay pitch win with 8 pitcher. "There is also the flow of the game, and I have to closer one game at a time from my standpoint, so I was concentrating.

On the third Sunday of the season, his wife and two children watched the game. "We want a third child," he said, explaining that his wife's job as a "Yakult Lady" will end in June. "Today is my wife's birthday. I'm going to buy a cake now." He supports bullpen as reliever pitcher and also supports his family as the breadwinner.

Interview and text by Masaki Kitano