At a meeting of professional baseball owners held in Tokyo on the 16th, Nippon-Ham owner Nobuhisa Igawa (65) emphasized that the future of manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo (54), who has led the team for five years, is currently undecided.

Owner Igawa emphasized, "It's still a blank slate, so to speak. I want them to aim for the championship until the very end. We haven't discussed that matter yet." Regarding when the decision will be made, he said, "I think it will be (after the season ends). They are still aiming for the championship, so I want them to work hard towards that," strictly ordering them to win the league championship for the first time in 10 years since 2016.

Manager Shinjo took over the team in 2022 from Hideki Kuriyama, who had finished in fifth place for three consecutive years. In his first year, he embarked on various team reforms as "BIGBOSS." In 2022 and 2023, despite finishing last for two consecutive years, he actively used young players to give them experience, developing players such as Yuki Kiyomiya, Manami, and Nomura. In 2024 and 2025, he competed with Softbank Hawks for the championship until the end of the season, finishing in second place for two consecutive years.

In his fifth year as manager, having signed a one-year contract, the team currently sits third in the league with a 10-game lead as of the 15th. Although they haven't quite found their rhythm, having suffered a significant losing record against Softbank Hawks, they boast a league-leading batting lineup with Home Run runs and a strong starter staff including Ito, Kitayama, and Kato Takashi.