Lotte's Ryusei Terachi has recorded a hit in five consecutive games since being promoted back on August 19.

Last season, his second year out of high school, Terachi appeared in 116 games, batting .256 with 5 Home Runs and 33 RBI. He also reached the required number of plate appearances and recorded 106 hits, the most for a second-year high school graduate in the club since the 21st century. While further success was expected this season, he got off to a strong start with a .333 batting average after the game against the Seibu Lions on April 11, but his average gradually declined, falling to a monthly average of .095 in May. He was removed from the first-team roster on June 10.

Since being promoted on June 30th, he has had two hit in the game against Rakuten Eagles on the same day, followed by three consecutive games hit, and then four consecutive games hit starting from the game against Orix Buffaloes on July 11th. In the game against Softbank Hawks on July 18th, he said, "It was a good extra-base hit, or rather, I had a favorable count of 3 balls and 1 strike, and I timed it well, and instead of pulling the low inside pitch, I think it was really good that it went to left-center field with a good inside-out swing." His first at-bat in the second inning with no outs and no runner on base and the score 1-0, he hit line drive doble to left-center field off the fifth pitch, fastball thrown by Ryosuke Otsu, with a 3 ball and 1 strike. However, his monthly batting average for July was .207, and on August 3rd, he was removed from the first-team roster for the second time this season.

"There were parts where I was still feeling my way through, but the most important thing was timing. Fukuura-san also told me to swing in a more compact, almost 'cramped' way. If I try to hit too comfortably, my legs inevitably open up, and the bat ends up taking a long path. I worked with the mental image of timing it with my legs as much as possible and then swinging the bat close to my body," he said, reflecting on the specific challenges he addressed while in the farm league.

On August 5, in the Chunichi farm team game, with 9-1 in the 9th inning with one out and runner no outs, in his fifth at-bat with no outs, Yugo Umeno threw the fourth pitch from 2 balls 1 strike at 150 km/h outside fastball to left-center wall a direct doble. The next day, the Chunichi second team game on the 6th, in the 3rd inning with no outs and no outs runner no outs, in his first at-bat with no outs, Seiki Nakanishi threw 3 balls and 2 doble broke the seventh pitch, the 147 km/h fastball thrown from strike, and in the Chunichi second team game that day, in the fifth at-bat with no runner outs in the ninth with a 3-1 score and no outs, Toshihiro Sugiura threw the eighth pitch from 3-ball, 2-strike, and fastball the outside corner into the left-center lagoon seats, Home Run hit a ball in the opposite direction.

I do hope that feeling from back then returns, but I think being able to hit strong balls to the opposite field like that is a good indicator of my form. Even if I'm not at my best, I feel like I'm hitting with a good sensation within myself. I want to keep working so that I can fully regain that feeling I had then.

In a Rakuten Eagles minor league game on August 16th before his promotion, his fourth at-bat in the 8th inning with two outs and no runners while trailing 0-9 was also good, where he hit a line drive hit in front of the center fielder off a 150 km/h inside fastball thrown by Naoto Nishiguchi on a 1 ball, 1 strike count. 'While looking for an outside fastball, I was able to react well to the inside fastball. I think I was able to hit it with solid timing without opening up too early,' he reflected.

When watching footage of his minor league games, he was hitting by bringing his right leg to a complete stop before putting it down, but since his promotion, there are times when he doesn't do that. He told me, "I've really re-evaluated my timing since being sent down to the farm team. I'm lifting my leg a bit earlier now, and if I lift it too early, I wait a bit, focusing on the image of creating a longer pause there."

Since being promoted to the first team, he has been getting hits. "I'm capitalizing on easy pitches, but I'm also just trying to hang in there, and I think I'm also managing to not get too worked up mentally."

Although a breakthrough was expected this season, the results have been disappointing, but there are 33 games remaining. "Whatever position or batting order I'm assigned. Right now, I'm not particularly focused on being in the top of the order; for example, if I'm batting fifth, I just view it as being the fifth batter and try not to put too much pressure on myself. I want to make sure I don't waste a single at-bat."

Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita