Seibu Lions Lions infielder Tyler Nevin (29) spoke to Sports Hochi by May 30th, revealing his feelings about the first half of the season. In his second year in Japan, he got off to a late start due to discomfort in his left side, but rejoined the first team on May 1st. Since then, he has been batting cleanup, with a batting average of .271, 15 Home Run, and 35 RBI. The foreign player, who is currently leading the team in second place, spoke of his strong determination to reclaim the championship for the first time since 2019. (Interview and composition by Ayami Onaka)

Nevin, in his second year in Japan, is a key player in the team's success. This season, he rejoined the first team in May due to a left oblique injury, but with the return of their star slugger, the team began to rise, even briefly taking first place. He was a major driving force behind the team finishing the first half of the season in second place, 5.5 games behind the leading Softbank Hawks, but he is by no means satisfied with the current situation.

"Personally, I got injured and it took longer than I expected to recover, so I want to focus on doing more from now on."

In his first year in Japan, he won the Golden Glove Award as a first baseman.Why did he decide to become a professional baseball player and end up playing in Japan? A major influence was his father, Phil Nevin, a former Major Leaguer who served as manager of the Angels in 2023 (and as interim manager in 2022) during Shohei Ohtani’s (currently with the Dodgers) tenure with the team.

"I used to go to the ballpark a lot, too. In the backyard, my dad and I would play baseball using Wiffle balls and Wiffle bats—those (plastic) toys. My mom would joke, 'You used to constantly tell your dad, “Throw me the ball!”' So I guess I must have really loved baseball that much.“I knew my dad went to baseball every day for work, and I had this feeling that I wanted to be like him.”

extra inning his contract midway through last season until the 2027 season was quite unusual. For professional baseball players, who have no guarantee of future prospects, the security of having a guaranteed place on the team is one factor that helps them concentrate on their play. Having teammates like Yamamura and Ishii, with whom he can enjoy casual conversations in English, is also a great advantage when playing in a foreign country.

"I was genuinely happy and satisfied to feel the trust the team had in me. The team atmosphere is very important, and I also carefully considered the fact that there are many promising young players. Everyone is a really good person, so I took all of that into consideration when I signed."

It's my second year in Japan. I'm gradually getting used to life here, and spending time with my beloved wife and our eldest son, who was born in January, on my days off is a brief respite from my worries.

"Basically, my family is here with me this year, so my days off are family days. We mainly eat meals together. Since coming to Japan, I've started going to parks and walking around a lot."

The team played 96 games, finishing with a record of 53 wins, 40 losses, and 3 ties. This is a remarkable improvement from last year's 5th place finish.

"As a player, I'm proud of how we performed in the first half of the season. The hero of each game changes every day, and in that sense, it's not about one or two specific players doing well, but rather everyone performing well, which shows how well the team is doing. It's a team that gives us a lot of hope."

With an All-Star appearance in between, there are 47 games remaining in the season.

"We're chasing Softbank Hawks, and we want to focus on each game and be determined to win."

Finally, he sent a message to Seibu Lions fans, mixing in some Japanese: "Hmm, it's hot. But, thank you very much. For coming to the game." With their sights set solely on reaching the top for the first time since 2019, they will fight each and every game with passion.

◆ Tyler Nevin: Born May 29, 1997, in California, USA. Age 29. Drafted in the first round (38th overall) by the Colorado Rockies in 2015. Made his major league debut on May 29, 2021, against the White Sox. Joined Seibu Lions in the 2025 season and won a Golden Glove Award as first baseman in his first year in Japan last season. 193 cm, 102 kg. Right-handed pitcher and right-handed batter.