The commentators who appeared on "Pro baseball News 2026," which aired on Fuji TV ONE on the 21st, commented on Seibu Lions from the start of the season up to this point.

Hiroki Nomura, who hosted the program, praised Seibu's performance so far, saying, "They struggled in April, but I think Kuwahara's presence was very important. Kuwahara was sidelined due to injury, but it was a balance between pitching and hitting. Even if they couldn't score pitcher, the pitchers would hold closer, and even if pitcher gave up hits, fielder would defend, so the whole team fought together as one. Of course, there will be ups Seibu Lions downs in their performance, but they are fighting in a very good way."

Hatsuhiko Tsuji, who previously managed Seibu Lions, agreed with Nomura's opinion, saying, "That's right." Tsuji praised pitcher, saying, "They've been winning consistently since May. Nevin is probably the biggest factor, but pitcher have really been working hard."

Akio Saito said, "Last year, we weren't scoring runs, and sometimes pitcher would get hit. This year, pitcher aren't giving up many runs, and the batters are scoring them. I feel like the balance has improved tremendously. pitcher are also pitching with confidence, thinking, 'I'll closer, I can't let them score any more runs,' and trusting the offense, which I think is contributing to the good results."

Seibu Lions suffered a team-worst 91 losses in 2024, finishing in last place, and also finished in 5th place last season, showing a string of difficult seasons in recent years. However, this season they have gotten off to a good start, currently sitting in 2nd place with a record of 25 wins, 19 losses, and 1 tie.

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