"Rather than focusing on the numbers, I want a title, so I'm going to aim for the saves title. My goal is 40 saves, and I think I need at least 30 saves to even come close to winning the title, so I'm setting my sights on 30 saves for now, and hopefully I can get into a position where I can aim for the title."

Lotte's Rikuto Yokoyama stated at a press conference following his contract renewal on November 27th last year that winning the "Save King" title is one of his goals for this season. Yokoyama, who served as closer the end of last season and recorded a career-high 12 saves, has been entrusted with the role of closing out winning games since the start of the season.

In the opening game against Seibu Lions on March 27, he took the mound in the 9th inning with the score 3-1, throwing 13 pitches, closer no hit, strike out 2, and giving up no runs, leading the team to their first win of the season. In that appearance, with the score 3-1 in the 9th inning, one out, and no runner on base, he threw a 139 km/h inside slider as his first pitch to Shuta Tonosaki. During an open practice session in January, he said he was practicing a fast slider, saying, "I'm trying to increase the speed and throw a sweeper-type ball with a lot of horizontal movement between 135 and 1340 km/h," but he hadn't thrown it in practice games or exhibition games.

When asked the next day if this pitch was the sweeper he had been practicing during the offseason, he simply replied, "It's a similar type of pitch." When asked why he hadn't thrown it in practice games or exhibition games, he explained, "It's a pitch that's not nearly perfected. It's one of my later options, so I was able to get an out and was in a favorable position. I also got the sign to throw it, so I decided to give it a try."

sinker also throws a count ball and a ball that takes a swing in the air, saying, "I try to change the feeling of power and the grip of the release." Since last summer, the right-handed hitter has also been able to take short swings with sinker, which has increased the number of Avg and strike out, expanding the range of pitch. So far this season, he has closer perfectly with 6 At Bat 0 hits and hit 2 strike out against right-handed hitter (6 0 hits and 2 .

His breaking fastball are only effective when he has breaking ball. He gained experience as a starter midway through last season, where he learned to throw with 80% of his strength, and he continued pitch steadily after being moved to the bullpen. In an interview on October 18 last year, after the season ended, he said, "I think there will inevitably be situations in close games where I need to be able to throw a ball with 100% control. I hope to continue to refine my control even when throwing with full force," indicating that he wants to maintain the same level of fastball control when throwing with 100% of his strength as he does when throwing with 80%.

Reflecting on his appearance in the opening game, he said, "I was able to pitch with good control. There was a sense of tension because it was the opening game, but I was able to give my best performance under those circumstances, so I think it was good that I was able to pitch without putting in any unnecessary effort."

For The Marines to rack up win this season, they need to be able to hold onto a one-run lead. With many close games expected, Yokoyama's role will be extremely important.

"It's meaningless unless I can be the closer for a whole year, and I want to be someone that can be used whenever such a situation arises. I want to impress the manager and coaches so that they think of me as the go-to person for save situations, and I hope to produce results."

Does he have a clear image of being able to pitch throughout the entire year?

"Every year, I tend to slump in performance from late April to around May. I can see various metrics from Hawk-Eye and understand my own physical condition, so I hope to be able to maintain my performance throughout the season by understanding my strengths and weaknesses."

He currently has three saves, tied for second in the league, and has mound in four save situations and close games. This season, he wants to pitch in the first team for the entire season, make 50 appearances for the second consecutive year, and win the saves title, which was his goal for this season.

Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita