The results of the player vote for the "Mynavi All-Star Game 2026" (July 28th at Tokyo Dome, 29th at Toyama) were announced on the 9th, and Orix Buffaloes Buffaloes catcher Kenya Wakatsuki was selected. This will be his third appearance, following 2023 and 2025. This is his second consecutive year being selected by player vote.

Now in his 13th professional season, he made his debut with the Japanese national team at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March. He drew attention for “reuniting” with Dodgers pitcher Yamamoto—with whom he won the Best Battery Award three consecutive years starting in 2021 during his time with the Orix Buffaloes and was named to the no hitter twice.

Since the start of the season, he has reigned as one of the two ace catchers alongside Tomoya Mori, who was born in the same year, 1995, and has started 57 games behind the plate so far. He is injury-resistant and leads pitcher staff with his strong defense skills, utilizing his strong arm.

In 2025, he reached 100 hit in a season for the first time in his career. This season, he has struggled at the start of the season, with a batting average of .223, 1 Home Run, and 12 RBI. Nevertheless, in the game against Softbank Hawks on June 23 (Mizuho PayPay Dome), he hit his long-awaited first home run in his 168th at-bat. "My performance this season hasn't been great, so I wonder if I'm good enough?" he said with a wry smile, but then added, "I can communicate with top-class players, and I think I can have a real power-to-power showdown that I wouldn't normally get to experience."

In the first game of the All-Star Baseball Day on July 23, 2025 (Kyocera Dome), he recorded his first All-Star hit over left field with a solo homer off Hiroshima Shimauchi. "If I hit again this year, it's the second consecutive year. Since the players have chosen me, I want to hit home run," he said, showing his charm. "I couldn't step up to bat (in interleague games), so I want to stand this time," he said, and for the pitcher he wanted to face, he named Yakult Kihada. "Reyes is the same age, so I want to hear his batting," he said, looking forward to interacting with Nippon-Ham 's main slugger.

In terms of defense, he formed a battery with Roki Sasaki (now with the Dodgers) of the Lotte Marines in 2023. Just like back then, he said with a confident smile, "I want to catch for various pitcher and use that experience in the second half of the season."