Orix Buffaloes 's left-handed pitcher, Ryuhei Sotani, continues to pitch well thanks to advice from his teammate, pitcher Alen Kuri.
"My mindset has changed. I'm now able to pitch with more composure during games," Soya said with a smile, revealing the change in his attitude on mound.
Soya is from Ikaruga-cho, Nara Prefecture. He joined Orix Buffaloes in 2022 as the first overall pick in the draft after graduating from Meio High School (Akita) and Hakuoh University. In his first year, he made six starts and earned his first win, and in his second year, despite a lack of run support from the offense, he maintained his position in the starting rotation with a record of 7 wins and 11 losses and ERA of 2.34. In his third year last season, he achieved a career-high 8 wins (8 losses) with his sharp slider as his weapon, but he was unable to accumulate wins in the second half of the season, and ERA (from 2.34 to 4.01) and inning pitched (from 119 to 114 1/3) did not surpass the previous year's figures.
Ahead of his fourth season, he set his sights on inning pitched and quality starts (QS, 6 innings or more with 3 or fewer earned runs). "I want to focus on inning pitched rather than wins or ERA myself," he said last October. At 34 years old, he has innings pitched 50 more inning than him and has recorded a team-high 11 wins, so he sought advice from Kuri and trained with him during the offseason.
To pitch long inning, it's essential to gain the trust of the coaching staff. Quality Starts (QS) are the key indicator for achieving this. For Soya, who aims to become a reliable pitcher by consistently achieving QS, Kuri, who openly declares his goal of pitching 200 inning a year, was a close-knit "teacher."
“If I had to say what’s changed (since practicing with Mr. Kuri), it’s that my desire to throw a long inning has grown stronger, and my mental approach has improved. Even when I face a tight spot, I now see it as an opportunity and can calmly put together my pitch. I’ve learned to stay focused on executing my pitch without panicking.”He explained that whereas his focus used to be inward, by letting go of his anxiety and staying calm, his focus has shifted outward to hitter, allowing him to compete with confidence.
catch I have become more important than ever regarding the ball. Even after self-training, he always serves as the opponent for Kuri's catch ball during the 'pitcher Designated Practice' every Monday. "There are things you can only worry about during practice. This year, I've been reminded once again how important it is to think about that. Of course, the form is important, but what I envision is a fastball that is strong on the base plate even when thrown lightly." Played with Kuri catch The ball is 30 meters away. Throw catcher to each other. The distance from mound to home base is 18.44m, but by throwing 30m hard, you can throw a strong ball on the baseplate.
"If you can throw a ball that doesn't drop at 30 meters, then you can throw an even stronger ball at 18 meters. (Because of the longer distance) if you're even a little off, the ball will go in the wrong direction. I had never thought of it that way, so it was a real eye-opener for me," said Soya.
He has a 3-3 record so far this season. However, he has recorded a Quality Start in 4 out of 7 appearances. This is a significant improvement from last season when he recorded a Quality Start in 9 out of 21 appearances. In the game The Giants on June 3rd (Tokyo Dome), he fulfilled his responsibility as starter, allowing only 2 hits, hit strike out 10, BB 1, and giving runs 1 run over 7 innings. "I aim to be pitcher can earn the team's trust, become a part of the rotation, and control the game." With pitcher Hiroya Miyagi and Shumpeita Yamashita sidelined due to Tommy John (TJ) surgery, expectations for the left-hander are even higher, but he will continue to pitch with unwavering determination no matter the circumstances.
Interview and text by Masaki Kitano
