Lotte's first-round developmental draft pick, Yuto Nakayama (Mito Keimei High School), made his regular season debut on May 5th against Rakuten Eagles 's minor league team. Since then, he has pitched 4 innings in 4 games, hit only 1 hit, strike out 0, BB 1, giving up no runs, and pitch ERA of 0.00.

Nakayama has excellent control, including achieving perfect game in the Ibaraki Prefecture tournament qualifier against Mizuki last summer, and his strike lead is notable even on the professional stage. Notably, in the Yakult minor league game on May 14 (1 inning, 5 pitches) and the Chunichi game on May 27 (1 inning, 8 pitches), he finished one inning within 10 pitches.

Nakayama analyzed his performance, saying, "My strength has always been my control, so I think it's good that I'm not falling behind in the count and therefore throwing fewer pitches."

In the May 27 minor league game at Chunichi, where he pitched one inning and threw eight pitches, he made his debut at the first team’s home stadium, Zozo Marine Stadium, even though it was a minor league appearance. Zozo Marine Stadium Reflecting on his appearance, he said, “It had been a while since I’d pitched in a night game—or rather, I didn’t do it much in high school—so there were some things I wasn’t used to, but I think it was good that I runs closer.”

fastball, who had a high school fastest of 146 km/h, said in an interview on April 12 that fastball 's personal best since turning pro was 148 km/h, but in the farm team regular season on June 6, in the Yakult second team game, with no outs runner in the ninth inning with a 4-1 score, he got a look on Ren Sawai's first pitch with a 148 km/h fastball, throwing fastball over 145 km/h nonstop.

"I think I've improved since turning pro. The environment has changed, so I think that's partly why I've grown, but also because everyone around me is at a high level. I think I've grown because I'm not going to lose to them," he explained, giving the reason for the increase in fastball speed.

In his professional appearances, his professional debut on May 5 against Rakuten Eagles was 9 out of 14 pitches; in his second appearance on May 14 against Yakult farm team, he threw 3 out of 5; on May 27, in the Chunichi minor league game, he threw 6 out of 8; and in the Yakult minor league game on June 6, he threw 10 out of 16 pitches fastball, showing a fastball-centered pitch But breaking ball is also throwing change-up, but I wonder how breaking ball is doing.

"I think breaking ball aren't bad either. I'm practicing so that I can throw change-up for strike any time."

In a game against Yakult' minor league team on June 6, he took the mound in the 9th inning with the score 4-1. With two outs and no runner Walk, he walked Taijiro Yano for the first time since turning pro, but closer the runs for one inning and earned his first professional save.

"There was a bit of a lead in the score, so I felt somewhat relaxed, but I didn't want them to score after I walked Walk."

In minor league games, he has consistently pitched few pitches and closer opponents scoreless for an inning. "I'm not going to change my pitching too much from before; I'll just keep practicing hard, and as it gets hotter, I'll make sure not to lose weight. I'll try to maintain my weight while gradually increasing it." He will continue to build up his physique so that he can compete throughout the year, along with his pitching, even as summer approaches and the weather gets hotter.

Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita