◆ Baseball Musings 2026, Part 28

On the podium at MIZUHO PayPay Dome, Ryoya Kurihara 's witty banter drew laughter from the crowd.

"Yesterday, Kondo was really hyping things up during the post-game interview, so I was kind of annoyed and that's why I hit the ball."

The game Rakuten Eagles on the 12th was entirely Kurihara's show.

He hit a go-ahead RBI single in the first inning, and in the third, he hit his 25th homer two-run homer, leading the home run race. He hit all of the team's RBI and accurately batted cleanup.

There's a hidden meaning behind the "revenge comments" directed at Kondo.

In the same match the previous day, Kensuke Kondo teased his partner on the podium, saying:

"Yesterday, I got a lot runner on base and gave Kuri many chances to get a hit, but he didn't get one, so I hit it myself."

Kondo, who is three years older, has 20 Home Run and 67 RBI as of the 13th, while Kurihara has 25 Home Run and 62 RBI, putting them tied for first and second place in both categories. Thanks to the synergistic effect of these good rivals, the team has finally reached the top spot since the 30th of last month. Both their bats and their mouths are in top form right now.

Kondo, who has won MVP (24 times), as well as batting titles such as batting hitter, Home Run run king, and RBI leader, is currently known as the most technically skilled slugger.

In contrast, Kurihara has had many years plagued by injuries and has never won a title. Moreover, during this spring's training camp, he was even asked to try out as catcher again for his former team. At that time, there were concerns about regular catcher Takashi Umino Umino, and it was part of manager Hiroki Kokubo's crisis management to prepare for any emergencies, but it also showed that he had the potential to be a "utility player" who could play any position.

For Kurihara, Kondo is a "living textbook" right in front of him.

From how they use their bodies to how they swing the bat and how they narrow down their target pitches, they are both left-handed hitter and have similar physiques. Until a few years ago, the cleanup hitters were Kondo, Yuki Yanagita, and Hotaka Yamakawa, and he was struggling just to hold onto his starting position, but he has gradually improved his performance and grown to the point where he is conscious of Kondo-sensei.

While the "KK duo" is now the league's top hitter, in Central League, Hanshin Tigers 's Teruaki Sato and Shota Morishita are similarly competing for batting titles against their teammates. The fact that both Softbank Hawks and Hanshin Tigers are leading the league is surely due in part to the presence of good rivals.

On the 13th, the second day of the Major League Baseball rookie draft took place, and the highly-touted Stanford University player Rintaro Sasaki was selected in the 8th round (235th overall) by the Miami Marlins.

Sasaki was the first overall pick in last year's NPB draft by Softbank Hawks. His current options are: ① join Major League Baseball, ② prioritize his studies and remain at Stanford University, or ③ join Softbank Hawks Hawks. Negotiations with the MLB end at 6:00 AM JST on July 28th, and with Softbank Hawks until July 31st.

Given the circumstances that led him to decide to study in the United States, a direct move to Major League Baseball is considered likely, but when he returned to Japan earlier this month, he also held negotiations with Softbank Hawks to join the team. He has also named SoftBank owner Masayoshi Son as someone he personally respects.

His future plans are expected to be decided as early as the near future, but if he makes a surprise move and joins Softbank Hawks, the team will gain a future slugger. If they become the "KK plus S duo," the golden team will surely shine even brighter.

Even if acquiring Sasaki proves unsuccessful, the current team is already strong.

Kurihara also says this:

"I'm happy when Kondo-san gets a hit, but there's also a sense of frustration. He's not someone I can easily beat, but I want to keep trying to challenge him."

If their witty banter continues, the glorious finish line will come into view.

Text by Kazuo Arakawa