Orix Buffaloes In the fourth year of the Ho Naito infielder, he showed his presence as a "right cannon candidate" by demonstrating his long-hitting ability, which is his specialty.

It was a "shocking" debut. In the game Seibu Lions on May 23rd (Belluna Dome), where he was promoted to the first team for the first time in two years, he was used as the "number 4 hitter and first baseman" and hit 2-At Bat 4. In his second at-bat, with Tomoya Mori on hit base, doble that hit wall to left field. It didn't go over the fence, and Mori's good base running to home plate was thwarted by a good defense by Seibu Lions, so he didn't get his "first Home Run and first RBI," but he was able to show his power hitting ability.

Naito was born in Aichi Prefecture. He was drafted second overall Orix Buffaloes in the 2022 draft as a "right-handed cannon candidate" after hitting a total of 53 Home Run during his days at Japan Aviation Ishikawa High School. However, after becoming a pro, he continued to suffer serious injuries: on May 5 of his first year, during a game Hanshin Tigers against the second team, he crossed base running paths with an opponent fielder and underwent surgery to suture his left lateral meniscus. He returned in the Phoenix League in October, but during spring camp defense of his second year, he dislocated his left shoulder, resulting in major surgery two years in a row.

In his third year, when he vowed to make a breakthrough, he avoided any major injuries and gained experience by playing in 122 games, mainly as the cleanup hitter. However, he was unable to significantly improve his batting performance, with a batting average of .227, and the season ended without him being promoted to the first team.

The good news came unexpectedly. He was informed of his promotion during warm-up practice before the night game against Hanshin Tigers (SGL) on the 22nd, and that same night he rushed to the team's lodging in Saitama Prefecture to check starter 's video on his tablet. His batting average of .219 in the farm league was not at the level of the first team, but it goes without saying that the coaching staff was impressed by his clutch hitting and power, as evidenced by his 25 RBI (the most in the farm league's West division), 3 Home Run (including walk-off-off two-run homer), and 12 doble out of 35 hit.

He found out he would be starting during practice at Belluna D. Manager Mamoru Kishida approached him and told him, "Don't worry about the results, just do your best," and then added, "You'll be batting fourth today." First-team head coach Toshio Haru, who had coached him as the second-team manager until last year, encouraged him by saying, "Don't be afraid to make mistakes." His reaction to the first pitch curveball in his first at-bat, which resulted in a foul ball, was evidence of his focus on aggressive hitting.

Through daily early morning extra-intensive fielding practice, under the guidance of minor league defense and base base running coach Shuhei Kojima and development coach Kohei Suzuki, defense skills have improved. He has practiced handling batted balls not only at third base but also at shortstop and second base. "He was already good at handling hard-hit balls, but now he can handle softer balls as well," said Coach Kojima. The fact that his defensive concerns are being alleviated was likely one of the reasons for his promotion to the first team.

There is one at bat this season that I will never forget: the April 2 farm exchange game against DeNA (Sugimoto Shoji Bs). 0-2 in the 9th inning, with two outs bases loaded, Naito caught up with a double by Ryoto Kita player, and Ryoma Ikeda player's Walk made it bases loaded again. In his next at bat, Naito was driven in by 3 pitches and sent off his 4th pitch, a 146 km fastball to set the game.

I was frustrated," he said. The previous hitter was hitting with two outs. I missed the first pitch (a straight ball), and that first pitch was the sweetest. I thought I definitely didn't want a big one at the end, that I had to make something happen, but it was right in the right spot and I couldn't get a hand on it," he said. After the game, he was on his way to Nagoya to prepare for the next round, but even on the train to Shin-Osaka Station and on the bullet train, all he could think about was that at-bat. The next day, he hit his first solo shot in a game against Chunichi. It was the result of his desire to avenge his name.

There was a reason why he had to be promoted to the first team. Last September, musician Tani Yuto, whom he had become close to through a mutual acquaintance, created his entrance song, "Ho" (帆). The title "Ho" is inspired by the character "Hō" (鵬) in his name, and the lyrics, "Raise the sails now, it's time, don't waste your efforts, let's fly as far as we can, one step at a time towards our dreams," evoke the image of a batted ball soaring into the stands. The entrance song can generally only be heard at home games for the first team. The next home game will be against the Chunichi on May 29th.

In the game Seibu Lions, after getting his first hit, he was picked off at second base. At 21 years old, it's all experience. "I want to continue to produce solid results and survive," Naito said. He's going to transform from a "potential right-handed slugger" to a "right-handed slugger."

Interview and text by Masaki Kitano