Lotte's Misho Nishikawa, in only his second year as a professional, has become an indispensable part of the batting lineup. He is currently on a nine-game hit, and recorded two hit in the game against Softbank Hawks on the 18th, bringing his monthly batting average for July to .358. His season hit average is .2987, ranking fourth in the league, and his 98 hit third in the league.

This season, even if Nishikawa doesn't hit in his first or second at-bat, he accumulates hit from his third at-bat onward to achieve multi-hit. "It was good to have two consecutive hits after three at-bats in succession." In the July 11 game against Orix Buffaloes, he had no hit through his third at-bat, but in his fourth at-bat with no out runner s and no outs in the eighth inning with a score of 0-6, he hit a doble down the right field line off Taito Takashima, and in his fifth at-bat with two outs and a runner on first in the ninth inning with a 2-8 lead, fastball strike Kaito Iriyama hit a timely triple to right-center with a multi-hit throw.

Regarding his hitting, he revealed, "I feel a variety of things every day, so there are times when I'm in good form and times when I'm not. I play each game with the intention of drawing Walk or getting a hit when I'm not in good form."

As Nishikawa said, "Can I draw Walk when I'm not in the zone?" Last season he had 16 Walk in 444 plate appearances, but this season he has drawn 29 Walk in 363 plate appearances, surpassing last season's total. In the three-game series against Softbank Hawks starting on July 3rd, he hit 0-At Bat 9, but he got on base in two of the three games, with one Walk on the 3rd and three Walk on the 4th.

"Walk are important for putting up a good season record, so I'm approaching that differently than last year."

When asked why he's been getting so many Walk this season, Nishikawa offered his own analysis: "I'm trying to hit the balls I should be hitting. I'm not trying to hit everything, but rather I'm focusing on hitting the pitches I've narrowed down, and I think that's what's leading to Walk."

Even if he doesn't get hit in his first two at-bats, he seems to be able to get hit in his third at Walk and beyond, or he can get on base with a walk when he doesn't get hit. I wonder how he feels about it himself.

"When things go wrong, I can reflect on what went wrong, so I review my performance after each at-bat."

In addition, he has been keeping a notebook to review his performance since his first year as a professional last season, and I wonder if that is also related to the fact that the fluctuations in his performance have become smaller.

"Of course, I write in my notebook every day, and I did the same last year, so I look back at my notes from last year and do things like that. I have to keep incorporating the feelings from when things were going well. There are limits to what I can do in my own mind, so I've been accumulating hints in my mind since last year, and I'm doing that."

The team has many players close in age who can push each other to improve, including Kyota Fujiwara, who is two years older, and Daito Yamamoto who is the same age. The competition within the team has also led to good results. "Of course, competing within the team strengthens the team and is also good for myself. I feel that I can't afford to lose, so I'm always thinking about that when I'm playing."

This season, Nishikawa has repeatedly spoken about "doing it for the team" and "doing it for himself" during interviews. When asked why this feeling has grown stronger, he explained, "Winning for the team is the best thing, but I also need to produce results to continue playing in games. So, first I do it for myself, and ultimately I do it in order to help the team win."

Having been selected by fan vote for the "Mynavi All-Star Game 2026," he is steadily climbing the ladder to become one of the leading players in the baseball world. This summer, Nishikawa's performance is essential for him to achieve his personal goal of becoming the leading hitter and for the team to improve its ranking by even one standings. "First of all, I'm in good condition right now without any injuries, so I want to make sure I can continue this well. I'll review my practice sessions, do repetitive drills, and work hard to maintain this good condition so that the team can win and I can be a valuable asset to the team."

Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita