Players who utilize their versatility to support the team

There are quite a few players in every club who have played in games other than position, which is registered as their own position. The presence of players who can play multiple positions depending on the team's circumstances will be a great support for fighting through a long season.

This time, we will introduce the players who played in the game in position other than the registered position in 2025 for each Pacific League club. We would like to reconfirm the lineup of players who have supported the team by taking advantage of their utility, and we also have high expectations for the success of each player in the new season.

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters

　Yuya Gunji Athlete, Ariel Martinez player, Kengo Yoshida player, Yua Tamiya A notable characteristic of the team is the large number of players who, while registered as catcher, have played in other positions. Among them, Gunji has played in four positions—catcher, first baseman, third baseman, and outfielder—while also leading the offense as a key hitter, and is becoming one of the league's leading super utility players.

He had played as both pitcher and outfielder until the previous year. Kota Yazawa The player, while still registered as pitcher in 2025, focused solely on playing in outfielder, appearing in 73 games and making his presence felt both offensively and defensively. He played all infield positions as well as outfield Takuya Nakashima Many players, especially those who play both outfield positions, Reyes In games where the player was not playing as DH, he played first baseman instead of his registered position as outfielder.

Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles

Five players, including Kohiro Komori, who was registered as infielder but never played in the infield and instead defense in the outfielder in 25 games, were registered as infielder but also played outfielder. With the exception of veteran Daichi Suzuki the other four players all played the most games as outfielder, suggesting that they expanded their playing opportunities by utilizing their versatility and batting ability.

Saitama Seibu Lions

　Nevin In 2025, his first year in Japan, the player was registered as outfielder, but he played defense in 121 games that year, while he never played in an outfielder game. The powerful hitter, who won both the Best first baseman and Golden Glove awards as first baseman, will he be able to show even greater success in 2026 when his registration is changed to infielder?

He re-signed as a developmental player this season. Daiju Nomura The player has changed his registered position from infielder to catcher. Last season, he demonstrated his versatility by playing at three positions: first baseman, second baseman, and third third baseman. Now, he's taking on the role of catcher for the first time since high school, and it remains to be seen whether this will broaden his opportunities and lead to his return to the main roster and a major breakthrough.

　Shuta Tonosaki In addition to playing as third baseman, a position he was converted to in 2025, the player also played outfielder for the first time in a while. Keisuke Nakata The player demonstrated his versatility by appearing in 27 games, the most of any position, as second baseman, third baseman short stop and outfielder.

　Takamatsu Although the player was registered infielder, he played as outfielder in every game in which he took defense. Seiya Watanabe Although registered outfielder, the player has already played as third baseman before the season began, and it looks like this season will be a year in which he can further expand his range of activities.

Chiba Lotte Marines

Four players—Toshiya Sato and Ryusei Terachi, both primarily catcher, and Hiromi Oka and Koki Yamaguchi registered as outfielder have also played as first first baseman. In addition to Yamaguchi, who played more games at first base than outfield, Teraji played both catcher and third baseman defense in this year's open games, suggesting that he may be able to take on a wide range of roles, utilizing his batting skills.

Orix Buffaloes

　Yuma Tongu played in 126 games as first baseman, but never appeared in a game as catcher, his registered position. Similarly, Ryoma Yamanaka, also registered as catcher catcher, never played in that position, instead playing at first base and in outfield. Keita Nakagawa, registered as infielder, never defense in infield, instead playing in 115 games as a key outfield, supporting the team with his performance.

infielder Taishi Hirooka can play four positions: first baseman, third baseman, short stop, and outfielder, and defense in 75 games as outfielder, the most of any position. Kosei Osato has also demonstrated exceptional versatility, playing all infield positions as well as outfield.

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

　In 2025, Akira Nakamura defense 89 games as first baseman, but never appeared in a game as outfielder. A defense master who has displayed his versatility by playing both first base and outfield for many years, and who won the Golden Glove Award for first baseman for four consecutive years from 2020, he is expected to continue to nip potential threats in the bud with his stable fielding this season, even after changing his registration.

In stark contrast to Akira Nakamura, Ukyo Shuto was registered infielder in 2025, but instead played in 96 games as outfielder, without playing in any infield defense. The speedy outfielder, who won the Best Nine and Golden Glove awards for two consecutive years, has a strong chance of making even greater strides in 2026, when he will be registered as outfielder.

catcher registered player Soichiro Ishizuka never played as catcher, instead playing as first baseman and outfielder. Similarly, catcher-specialist Kenta Tanigawara, as in previous years, utilized his strong arm to play as outfielder, while also seeing an increase in appearances as catcher following Takuya Kai's transfer. Taisei Makihara also played both second baseman and outfielder, showcasing outstanding performance both offensively and defensively, including winning his first-ever batting hitter.

Will players who play in positions other than their original registered position once again showcase their versatile talents this season?

Some players will be changing their registered positions this season, while others are expected to excel in roles other than their registered position. This season, it might be worth paying even more attention to the performances of players who are playing in defense other than their original ones.

Written by Ryota Mochizuki