On June 11, the winners of the “SMBC Trust Bank Farm Monthly MVP Award” for May were announced. For the East Division: Chiba Lotte Marines ・ Yuya Sakurai; in the Central Division, Yuta Nakami of the Saitama Seibu Lions; and in the West Division, Ryuta Hirose of the Fukuoka Softbank. The winners will receive commemorative gifts from the Farm League and prize money from SMBC Trust Bank, Ltd.

Chiba Lotte Marines struck out Sakurai, a fourth-round draft pick, appeared in 19 games in May, posting a .316 batting average and 13 RBI. Despite being a high school graduate rookie, he achieved strong results and was promoted to the first team for the first time on May 31.Although he went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts in his first two at-bats and was removed from the roster on June 4, he intends to use the experience gained with the first team to further hone his skills in the farm system.

▼Comment from Player Sakurai▼
“As I played in games starting from spring training, I was initially shocked by the speed of the pros and the high quality of the breaking ball. As I went through more practices and games, I gradually got used to it. While the results aren’t quite where I want them to be yet, I feel like I’m starting to produce results in my own way.

I’m genuinely happy to have won the Monthly MVP award, and it’s given me confidence for the future. That said, looking at the season as a whole, I haven’t achieved the results I’d hoped for yet, so I intend to work even harder than before and strive to become a player who can perform well on the first team.”

Yuta Nakami, a sixth-year player for the Central Division’s Saitama Seibu Lions, recorded a .288 batting average, 5 Home Run, and 18 RBI in 21 games in May. He was promoted to the first team in April but finished with 23 At Bat and 2 hit in 8 games, after which he spent time in the farm system reevaluating his batting.On the other hand, one of his two hits hit in the first team was a Home Run, showing flashes of his batting potential. Can he continue to produce results as he aims for a promotion?

▼Comment from Nakami▼
"I’ve been re-evaluating my batting and focusing on making solid contact with the pitches I target during games. I believe that being able to execute my ideal swing led to these results. Moving forward, I want to continue showcasing my power—my greatest strength—and work hard toward a promotion to the first team.

Also, with the farm league adopting a three-division system this season, I’ve had more opportunities to face the pitcher, a team I’ve rarely played against before. While I find it challenging to adjust at times, I believe this is essential experience for competing at the first-team level, so I want to use these matchups to help me grow.”

RBI Hirose, a third-year player for the West Division’s Fukuoka Softbank, appeared in 15 games in May, posting an impressive .365 batting average and 10 home runs. Riding this hot streak, he was promoted on May 26 and has continued to deliver results at the top level, batting .308 in nine games.

▼Comment from Hirose▼
“I’m really happy to win my first Monthly MVP award. It’s been rare for me to maintain such good form for so long, so being able to get at least one hit in every game feels really satisfying. I think the reasons for my success were that I was able to time my swings well and focus on a lower-body-driven batting approach.

I felt good about my swing in the farm league, and I was able to carry that momentum through this past month. Since I was able to produce results in the first team afterward, I think the time I spent in the farm league before moving up was really valuable. I’ve been batting fifth or sixth more often lately, so I hope to deliver hits in key situations.Since hitting is my strength, I’ll keep swinging aggressively and do my best to contribute to win.