◇ Fukuoka Softbank vs. Tohoku Rakuten Eagles 19th Round (15th, MIZUHO PayPay Dome)

Fukuoka Softbank 's 2024 first pick, Taito Murakami pitcher, made his professional debut. He closer 1 inning to 3 strike out runs.

In the top of the eighth inning, trailing by 4 runs, he came in as the second pitcher. He gave Walk to the lead, then allowed hit to the following Ryosuke Tatsumi, putting runners on first and second with no outs. However, with fastball and curves around 150 km/h to adjust the pace, he let Rui Muneyama player go and struck out. He then earned struck out swings from McCuscar and YG Yasuda, surviving the situation with three consecutive struck out pitchers.

Last season, after joining from Kobe Koryo High School, he did not appear in regular season due to injuries. In his second season, he pitched in four farm games, inning 13 with a ERA 6.23, which stood out for his runs, but he also posted a strike out of 8.31.

◇ Taito Murakami Player Pitching Records
First appearance: August 15, 2026, against Tohoku Rakuten Eagles

Text by Minagi Niwa