​Ryusei Ogawa joined Chiba Lotte Marines Lotte Marines in the 2020 draft as the third overall pick. Initially, he was mainly used as defense substitute or pinch runner, but since 2024, his opportunities to starting line-up have increased. Furthermore, in his sixth season this year, he posted a monthly batting average of .327 in May, briefly becoming Pacific League 's leading hitter, demonstrating significant improvement in his batting. This time, we will delve into Ogawa's batting.

From a shallow count, make an aggressive move.

The first thing to note is the change in his approach at the plate. Looking at his swing rate on first baseman strike, it hovered around 34% last season, nearly 10 points below the league average. However, this season it has risen to 40.1%, indicating that he is taking more aggressive swings from early in the count.

Furthermore, his P/PA (pitch per plate appearance) has decreased to 3.78. While one of Ogawa's strengths is his tenacious batting that forces opposing pitcher to throw many pitches, this season he has had more at-bats that end quickly than usual.

Pulled balls have increased significantly.

Next, let's look at the breakdown of batted ball directions. Up until last season, over 70% of Ogawa's batted balls went to center fielder or left field. However, this season, the percentage of balls hit to the right has increased by nearly 9 points from last year. In particular, the percentage of balls hit to the right against inside pitches has risen from 37.9% last season to 48.1%, indicating a significant increase in pulled balls.

On the other hand, his percentage of hits to the opposite field against outside pitches was 37.0%, about 2 percentage points higher than the previous year. It seems he's not forcibly pulling every ball, but rather maintaining a batting style that doesn't fight against the pitch's trajectory while increasing the number of pulled hits.

Hit the ball with an angled trajectory while pulling it.

Generally speaking, balls hit to the pull side are less likely to become fly balls. Looking at this season’s league averages, the fly ball percentage for balls hit to the opposite field is 66.7%, whereas it drops to 34.5% for balls hit to the pull side.

Given this trend, one might expect Ogawa’s fly ball percentage to decrease this season, as he has been hitting more pull shots. However, contrary to this expectation, his fly ball percentage has actually increased from last year. In particular, the fly ball percentage on pull shots has risen from 21.1% last season to 34.1%.Until last season, his highest single-season total for extra-base hits was just two, but this season he has already hit six doble and two triple, including his first professional home run.

His ability to hit pull shots at an angle that tends to yield favorable results has likely contributed to his increased power and, consequently, improved batting statistics.

His signature safety bunt is still going strong.

So far, we’ve looked at data on his hitting, but when people think of Ogawa, some probably picture him getting on base with a sacrifice bunt.

bases loaded Starting with the safety bunt walk-off squeeze he executed on July 30, 2024, against the Saitama Seibu Lions—which earned him the “2024 SKY PerfecTV! Dramatic walk-off Award Grand Prize”—he has recorded a league-leading 14 bunt hits over the past three years.This season, as he showcases a new batting style, he has already recorded five bunt hits. His ability to execute successfully even when the opposing team is on high alert, along with his situational awareness to exploit openings, are likely major strengths of Ogawa.

Under new manager Saburo, Ogawa has continued to play as a regular this season second baseman. In addition to the aforementioned improvement in his batting statistics, he has maintained a flawless record in his well-regarded defense, establishing himself as a reliable player in all aspects of the game—running, hitting, and fielding.In the fan voting for the 2026 Mynavi All-Star Game, he took first place in the second baseman category and was selected for his first All-Star Game. We look forward to seeing him continue to shine at ground and help propel the team to the top of the standings.

*All text and figures in the table are current as of July 26, 2026

Text by Data Stadium