◆In games where he hit Home Run, he has an 8-0 record. "This clutch performance from a rookie is very reassuring."

Seibu Lions 's first-round draft pick, rookie Taiga Kojima, hit a game-winning two-run Home Run in the 11th inning of the game extra inning Rakuten Eagles on the 23rd.

On the Fuji TV ONE program "Pro baseball News 2026" aired on the 23rd, MC Tomotaka Sakaguchi exclaimed, "This is his third game-winning hit in August alone. His hitting in crucial situations is impressive, and he's win all 8 games in which he's hit Home Run." Commentator Atsushi Kataoka analyzed his characteristics, saying, "You can feel his youthful energy, and when he hits, he doesn't put too much upper body into it, and he doesn't show number to pitcher, so he's able to use his lower body to hit, and I think he's able to hit sweet pitches well. It's reassuring to see such clutch hitting from a rookie."

Another commentator, Akihiko Oya, said, "As catcher, he is required to do a lot of different things defensively, which is difficult, but the fact that he shines so much at bat makes me look forward to his future performance."

☆ Cooperation: Fuji TV ONE "Professional baseball News 2026"