On July 6, Ryota Igarashi and Sho Nakata appeared on the “Mondays at Pate-re, supported by B-Union” segment on the official YouTube channel of Persol Pacific League TV, where Tatsuki Mizuno where they praised the players’ hitting.

Among the weekly Best Nine selected by Patele, the player Nakata singled out as particularly noteworthy was Mizu fielder’s choice, who was chosen in the short stop category. He has shown a major leap this season so far with a .304 batting average, and last week he made his presence felt at the plate with a .391 batting average and an OPS of 1.043.

“When I first provided commentary, I hadn’t played with him, so to be honest, I didn’t really have a clear impression of him,” Nakata said, describing his initial reaction. “I just knew he was playing in the games,” he added. However, he was amazed by Mizuhara’s hitting, noting, “When I saw him bat, I thought, ‘This player is amazing.’”

Mizu fielder’s choice, whom Nakata described as “really short,” stands at 171 cm—relatively small among players—but his power has shone this season: out of 84 hit, he has doble 17, triple 6, and Home Run 5.Nakata continued, “After hearing various stories, it seems he can bench press around 140 kg—with that build,” revealing the secret behind his power.

“When I saw that hit, I thought, ‘This kid is insane,’” Nakata said, noting that the opposite-field hit by Mizu fielder’s choice had left a strong impression on him during the commentary.Mr. Igarashi, who was listening to the conversation, also spoke highly of Mizuhara fielder’s choice, saying, “It’s precisely because he isn’t very tall that he has to train hard to build strength. But just because you gain strength doesn’t mean that strength automatically translates into good technique, does it?”

“He must be training hard so he doesn’t get overpowered. He’s an incredibly good hitter,” concluded Mr. Nakata. With his improved batting leading the lineup, all eyes are on Mizutani fielder’s choice to see if he can guide the team even higher in the standings.

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“Mondays at P-Tele” was launched with the desire to create enjoyable moments for pro baseball and Pacific League fans even on Mondays, when few games are held. This week’s episode was brought to you by “B-Union,” a Japan-based brand that connects players, fans, and the local community through the stadium, and is also the official cap supplier for Chiba Lotte Marines.

Additionally, 10 lucky winners will be selected via a raffle to receive a B-Union “Let’s Go to Patere” cap (not for sale). Details on how to enter were announced during the broadcast.

Live Stream Program “Let’s Go to Patele on Mondays”
・Broadcast Date: Every Monday at 9:00 PM (Scheduled to air through October during the season)
・Streaming Platform: Persol Pacific League TV Official YouTube Channel
・Cast: A different pair of former Pro baseball players appears each week
(Ryota Igarashi & Sho Nakata / Ginji & Yuji Kaneko / GG Sato & T-Okada / Motonobu Tanishige & Tomoya Satouzaki)

Next Monday, the 13th, Ginji and Yuji Kaneko are scheduled to appear. Don’t miss it!