In his Seibu Lions start as catcher since Rakuten Eagles game on May 24th, starting line-up 's Matsukawa Ko Matsukawa had two hit at bat and also did a great job leading the five starting pitcher, Kaito Mori, Akira Yagi, Shunsuke Nakamori, Shota Suzuki, and Rikuto Yokoyama, to win in the game against Seibu on the 16th.
Matsukawa secured starting line-up the opening day roster for the first time since 2023, and started 15 games in March and April, including the opening game against Seibu Lions on March 27th. However, his playing time gradually decreased from May onwards as Toshiya Sato 's batting improved. Since May, he has only started 6 games as catcher.
Having spent more time watching the game from the bench, he said, "First, I carefully watch the game and think about what I would do in that situation. I also pay attention to the batter's reactions. I think the bench offers a better view than when I'm playing catcher, so I focus on watching the batter's reactions." He has been preparing so that he will be ready whenever his turn comes.
Despite having limited opportunities to bat, he was registered with the first team but also played in second-team games, getting one hit in the game against Oisix on June 16th, two hit in the game against Oisix the following day on the 17th, and a good two-run RBI single in his second at-bat in the 5th inning with no outs and runners on first and second base against Hayate on July 11th, when he hit cutter to right-center field on the sixth pitch thrown by Hiroki Sato on a 3-ball, 2-strike.
"I'm still in the minor leagues, but I think I'm managing to hit at my own timing. There are some areas where I can't quite finish the job, so I want to review my timing and the start of my swing and keep working on it."
Even during pre-game practice with the first team, he said, "I don't get many opportunities to bat in actual games, but I make sure to keep the game in mind during practice and put out as much of my power as I can." He has been diligently practicing batting with the game in mind.
In the July 16 game against the Seibu Lions, batting eighth as “catcher,” starting line-up took the field. In his first at-bat in the third inning with the score 0–0, no outs, runner, and no runners on base, Yutaro Watanabe hit the second pitch—a cutter—thrown after a ball—back in front of left field, leading to Misho Nishikawa ’s go-ahead hit.In the ninth inning with the score 4–2, one out, runner, and no runners on base—his fourth at-bat—Ryosuke Moriwaki hit the second pitch fastball—thrown after a 1-ball count—back in front of right field, achieving a multi-hit game hit.
Matsukawa also recorded multiple hit in the game against Rakuten Eagles on May 24th, making it two consecutive games with multiple hit in games where he started behind the plate. Furthermore, he is currently on a four-game hit streak in games where he started starting line-up, starting with the game against Softbank Hawks on May 8th. He is also getting good results with the bat in games where he starts.
"If I get a chance to play, I want to get results and win games. Otherwise, I don't think I'm catcher, so I want to play in a way that will secure the wins," Matsukawa said in an interview on July 12th. He lived up to his word, leading his team to win in his first start in about two months. When he joined the team, he was expected to be a "hitting catcher." We can expect him to contribute not only defensively but also with his bat.
Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita
