◆Nippon Life Interleague Series 2026: DeNA 8-3 Softbank Hawks (May 5th, Yokohama)

Softbank Hawks 's fifth-round draft pick, infielder of JR East), recorded his first professional hit Home Run.

In the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs and trailing by six runs, he swung hard at a floating slider on the fourth pitch from DeNA's Miyagi. The ball soared into the middle of the left-center field stands for his first professional hit and Home Run run. "I finally got my first one. I feel kind of floaty after hitting it, it doesn't feel real," he said, rounding the bases, experiencing a feeling different from usual.

He made his first professional appearance starting line-up on May 31 against Hiroshima (Mizuho Peipay) at "No. 8, first base" and was replaced in the middle of the game after falling struck out three batters in a row.

A bittersweet debut for the first team, he and Kondo had a chat before the game against Chunichi (Vantelin Dome) on March 3. I didn't get my timing right and couldn't get my swing going. The Hawks There are a lot of players who can serve as role models in the World Cup," he said. "I asked them how to get the timing right and how to wait for the ball. I asked him about his timing and how he waits for the ball. I want to keep this in mind as I work on it." After adjusting his awareness, he did not miss the sweetly-timed pitches.

His role hitter of the sport, watching videos of Suzuki's batting and other baseball related content before picking up a bat himself, and even watching training videos of track and field athletes to learn how to run. "I want to use this as a good starting point and continue building on it," Takahashi says. He's building his future as a great hitter, gaining experience step by step.