【Buffaloes Inside】
Orix Buffaloes In his fourth year at Ryu Sugisawa outfielder, the "Patronus" has been saving the team's asses with his offensive and defensive efforts.
"Up until now, I've been focused on getting results. But it's not about each game, it's about each and every pitch, so I think it's about how much I can concentrate and prepare for each one." Sugisawa quietly revealed the secret to his good form.
Sugisawa is from Akita Prefecture. He joined Orix Buffaloes in the 2022 draft as the 4th pick after graduating from Tohoku High School (Sendai City) and Tohoku Fukushi University. left-handed hitter whose selling points are his clutch hitting and aggressive, daring defense that makes use of his speed. In his first year in the minor leagues, he played in 92 games in Western League and recorded a team-leading 38 RBI, and maintained a batting average of nearly .260 over three years, but his appearances in the major leagues were limited to 44 games (batting average .128) over three years.
He first learned about the existence of spirits three years ago. "I met an ordinary person who could see spirits, and they told me that there was a spirit watching over me from my left rear. They also said, 'You will be successful in 2026.' I wondered what they were talking about, but I was feeling quite anxious because I wasn't getting any results at all, and those words helped me to persevere emotionally," he recalls.
Of course, he did not rely on a "guardian angel. He volunteered to participate in the Winter League in Australia and Taiwan for the first two years in a row, and from the off-season of his second year, he volunteered to participate in Softbank Hawks and Ryoya Kurihara infielder and Shogo Sakakura's catcher voluntary training sessions in Hiroshima. He said, "We do weight training in the morning and practice baseball in the afternoon, but I (was too tight) to practice baseball. I'm too tight to practice . But the two of you were swinging the bat with a bang. That's why they are so successful in the professional world. I learned that if I was lenient with myself, the results would not come, and I would not grow.
She also worked on building a body that wouldn't get injured. She had suffered from lower back pain, but started doing Pilates seriously in January of this year. "My lower back was my biggest concern, but the pain has really disappeared, and I've been able to use my abdominal muscles, which has broadened my range of motion," she reveals.
He made the opening day roster, but playing time was limited due to the depth of talent in the outfield. Nevertheless, he patiently waited for his chance. In his first starting line-up on April 5 against Nippon-Ham (ES CON FIELD), hit 2-At Bat 3. Defensively, he inspired the team with a spectacular diving catch of a ball that looked like it would drop in right field. He did not play in the next game, but started in two consecutive games against Lotte when they returned home, At Bat 3 hit 6 with one RBI and contributing to the team's three-game winning streak.
"Whether I play in a game or not isn't something I get to decide. If I let my emotions get the better of me, luck will abandon me too. I just focus on preparing thoroughly for what I can do every day. I don't worry about whether I play or not." Every night, he imprints images and data of the opposing starter for the next day onto his tablet, imprinting them in his mind and eyes. "I don't know if the existence of a 'guardian spirit' is real or not. I've never felt one. But I'm glad I believed in those words and have been doing my best. It's reassuring, and I want to continue believing in good things." He will not neglect his efforts and will make luck his ally.
Interview and text by Masaki Kitano
