Lotte's second-round draft pick in the development league, Kaito Takahashi (Shikoku ILplus, Tokushima), has appeared in 16 games in the minor leagues, but has yet to earned runs.
In the farm team game against Chunichi on June 23, he was promoted to Zozo Marine Stadium mound for the first time since turning pro. "I was able to pitch at a really great stadium, and it wasn't anything special—I think I was able to pitch as usual." Taking the mound in the 9th inning with the score at 3-5, Takahashi got leadoff hitter Hiroshi Tsuda swinging struck out on a 2-ball, 2-strike fastball at 149 km/h, then grounded out Nakamura Nakamura from a 2-ball, 2-strike fastball at 150 km/h, and finally got pinch hitter Shunta Mori swinging struck out from 3-ball, 2-strike to 127 km/h slider.
"I think the cheers will be even louder when I go to the first team, so being able to have that kind of experience in that environment was a good experience," he said, after throwing 18 pitches in one inning, allowing no hit, strike out two, BB none, and runs, making a perfect debut Zozo Marine Stadium.
Just like in the Chunichi game that day, where he took struck out in fastball, he throws a powerful fastball from the start of the season. "I pitch around fastball, so that's one of my strengths, and I'm practicing to keep that in mind."
In a post-game interview on June 23, after pre-game practice, he said, "I haven't handled fork at all, so I want to practice and develop it from now on," but in the July 15 game against Oisix, he retired Daniel left-handed hitter with one out and a runner on first in the 8th inning with a 5-0 strike and a low fork swinging struck out from 2 .
"I think it's gradually coming along the way I envisioned," he said, adding, "The pitch that got me struck out the other day was a bit of a ball, so my goal is to drop it a little further out of the strike zone to get a swing and a miss."
"I think I'm getting better day by day," he said, explaining that he has been consciously practicing to throw his signature pitches, including his fork, properly, starting with catch practice, and that the results are beginning to show.
Through May, he pitched 10 times, recording 7 strike out and strike out—the low number of strikeouts was one of his challenges—but since June, he has pitched 9 times and has been able to record 8 strike out and struck out. “fastball has become my main pitch, and I think my breaking ball has improved as a result, so I suppose that’s why I’m getting more struck out,” he analyzed.
The number of BB has also decreased; he had 7 BB in 10 innings until May, but since June he has given up only 4 BB. "I've been working on getting ahead in strike with strike, and I'm consciously trying to do that," he said, and since the game against Oisix on June 16, he has closer opposing team to no walk in 4 out of 5 games.
He has overcome his challenges and closer earned runs to zero, showing an improved form. "I'm not really thinking about it that much as I aim to be registered as a regular player by the end of July, but I want to pitch as I always do, without getting injured, and in good physical condition." All eyes are on whether he will receive the good news of being registered as a regular player by the July 31st deadline.
Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita
