Orix Buffaloes ・Soichiro Yamazaki pitcher (28) celebrated his 28th birthday on the 15th. The right-hander, who filed his marriage registration in March before the season opener and has made a comeback as a key member of the bullpen, expressed his determination in his new vows.

"Ultimately, I want to become pitcher that kids look up to and want to imitate." His ideal is to possess both genuine skill and star power, like his close friends and classmates, Yamamoto (Dodgers) and Darvish (Padres). He himself once watched videos of Buehler (Padres) pitch "to death," and revealed his endless desire for improvement by saying, "I want to become pitcher like that too..."

Over the past two years, he struggled, recording a total of 4 hold. Now in his 10th professional season, he has already recorded 10 hold in 25 games.Holding the belief that “speed is romantic,” his future dream is to become the fastest Japanese pitcher, reaching 165キロ. Currently on a streak of eight consecutive games without a runs, he has refocused on the present, stating, “First and foremost, I want to continue pitch to contribute to the team’s win.” With his handsome features, he is one of the team’s top stars. A year of surpassing his own limits is about to begin. (Toru Nagata)