◆ Mr. Tanizawa also pointed out, "There's no breadth to it; it tends to float above the top."

Rakuten Eagles 's Kenta Maeda started on the mound against Nippon-Ham on the 6th. He pitched 5 innings, throwing 82 pitches, allowing 3 hit strike out 2, walking 2, and giving runs 1 Walk before being taken out of the game.

Although his teammates took the lead in the third inning, Maeda was caught up in the fifth inning and missed his first win since returning to NPB. On the 6th, Fuji TV ONE's 'Pro baseball News 2026' broadcast of MC Yutaka Takagi asked, "Maeda, who hadn't made it to the fifth inning before, was able to pass through today. Will this lead to the future, or is it the limit?" Commentator Toshiaki Imae replied, "Of course, I think it will connect, but I don't want him to be satisfied with that, and I don't want to be satisfied either. I still haven't won yet. From the start of the season, he has been throwing breaking ball quite a lot. He has a good pitch, so if he uses a bit more fastball to reduce the number of pitches and moves through the inning, I think it could lead to victory."

Another commentator, Kenichi Tanizawa, pointed out, "I think it's ultimately about control. While fastball has power, as a veteran of this caliber, he needs to have control of both the outside and inside pitches. He lacks that kind of versatility; his pitches tend to float high. He hasn't perfected it yet."

☆ Cooperation: Fuji TV ONE "Professional baseball News 2026"