In his first year in Japan, Rakuten Eagles player Voit played in 67 games, recording 73 At Bat 243 hit and 13 Home Run. Although he didn't reach the required number of plate appearances, he still managed a batting average of .300, making his presence felt as a core player in the batting lineup. This season, which will be his first full season, he is expected to make even greater strides, and we spoke with him about the team and the headband that is becoming his trademark.

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Which young players is Voit keeping an eye on? "This will be a year of great progress for them."

Last season ended in a disappointing fourth place for the fourth consecutive year, but Rui Muneyama Eagles have seen the emergence of young players such as Fumiya Kurokawa Daisuke Nakashima, Tatsuki Koja, pitcher Masaya Nishigaki, and pitcher Rakuten Eagles, and the team's depth in both pitching and hitting has improved. When asked which young player he is particularly keeping an eye on, Voit immediately named Fumiya Kurokawa.

"I believe this year will be a breakthrough year for Kurokawa. We are currently working as a team to help him gain even more power, and he has a really great opportunity. Last year, Murabayashi (Kazuki) also achieved a batting average close to .300. He is currently learning how to play the game while working to improve his power and swing speed, and I'm sure that will pay off in the results."

He also predicted that the relocation of outfield wall at their home stadium, Rakuten Eagles Mobile Saikyo Park Miyagi, to the front this year would "undoubtedly have a positive effect on the distance of Kurokawa's hits." He also anticipated that it would be a "major turning point" for many other young fielder, and expressed his hopes for the young players to succeed.

What inspired you to start wearing that cool headband that's becoming your trademark?

Many fans probably picture Voit wearing a variety of colorful headbands, such as those featuring the American flag or the team logo.

When asked what prompted him to start wearing it, he replied, "I sweat a lot, so I wanted to prevent sweat from running down my face when I was at bat." About 10 years ago, the headband he started wearing to stop the sweat eventually became part of Voit's routine, and now it's his trademark.

"This year, the team made me a cool headband with the American flag on it. There are also Rakuten Eagles original ones with my number on them, and we're also ordering a few more from the United States."

In addition to the six headbands the team gifted him this year, Voit is currently ordering around 30 more from the United States, and he smiled as he said, "Some of them have pretty flashy designs!" He also revealed his preference, saying, "When I wear the same headband, it's usually a sign that I'm in good form. I don't change it unless I'm not getting results and my performance is declining, so if I have a bad game, I'll switch to a different design."

Furthermore, Voit was aware that his headband was frequently a topic of discussion on social media. "I wear it all the time, even during batting practice and on ground, and fans and other players often tell me, 'That headband is super cool!' So I think other players will start wearing them soon too."

Voit continued, his voice full of excitement, "It would be great if the fans are enjoying themselves with the headbands!" It seems that headbands will be attracting even more attention this year.

"I want to play a full season and contribute to the team winning the championship." This is my aspiration for this season.

Finally, when asked about his aspirations for the upcoming season, Voit passionately stated, "My goal this year, though it may sound cliché, is to 'stay healthy.' And I want to play a full season and contribute to the team winning the championship. What I want to tell the fans right now is that I'm really looking forward to returning to Tohoku. I believe this year's team has a great chance of making post season and going even further. Please come to the stadium and cheer us on."

And then, with his usual "those words," he concluded with these words.

"This year we've added a lot of new players who will contribute to win, and everyone is in perfect physical condition and seems to be in great shape. We're absolutely fired up. Tohoku is the best!"

Interview by Shintaro Takebayashi
Written by Manyuko Goto