After suffering 91 losses last year and aiming to bounce back from last place, the 2025 Saitama Seibu Lions finished the season in fifth place with 63 wins, 77 losses and 3 ties. While a lack of scoring power remains an issue for the Saitama Seibu Lions fielder, the year was marked by the growth of young players, in addition to the addition of foreign players and new draft picks.

◇ pitcher edition is here

Nevin and Seiya Watanabe 's performance shines from the first year

In 137 games, Nevin had 141 hit, 21 Home Run, 63 RBI, a batting average of .277, and an on-base percentage of .346. He led the team and the league in many categories, and was the new foreign player. He played as the cleanup hitter in many games, and in May, he won the MVP award with a .292 batting average, 4 Home Run, and 17 RBI. He also batted over .300 in June and July. In September, his batting average dropped to .234, but he still hit 8 Home Run.

He not only contributes to the team with his batting but also with defense. As first baseman, he shows good reaction to sharply hit balls and demonstrates excellent teamwork with pitcher, earning him the Mitsui Golden Glove Award.

Among the new recruits, the presence of second-round draft pick rookie Seiya Watanabe was also significant. He performed well from the start of the season, batting over 40% in March and April, and was selected to the All-Star team by fan and player vote. He was forced to leave the team twice due to a foot injury while base running, and his batting performance faltered in the middle of the season, but he continued to play and reached the required number of at-bats. He also hit double-digit Home Run, posting impressive results in his first year with a batting average of .259, 12 Home Run 43 RBI in 109 games.

Manaya Nishikawa, Natsuo Takizawa... Young Lions Breaking Out

While the new players were active, the young lions also broke out. Manaya Nishikawa One of them reached the regulation batting lineup for the first time in his career, and has become an indispensable player for the team. Especially in the beginning of the season, he was often on base from the first at bat to create chances and became the leadoff man, and although he had to leave the team temporarily in August, he showed consistent batting throughout the year and marked a .264 batting average and 10 Home Run 38 RBI 25 stolen base runs in 124 games.

center fielder Nishikawa, who protects a wide defense range, is also attractive for his strength on the edge of the ball. He showed defense his ability to save the team many times, such as diving catch for a hit that looked like it could have been a hit.

　Natsuo Takizawa played three positions: second base (83 games), shortstop (54 games), and third base (4 games), demonstrating high-level defense with both speed and accuracy. This season, he has often been in starting line-up as the second batter, and he also achieved a career-high in batting. He has played in 125 games, batting .234 with 14 RBI and 21 stolen base, showing a steady growth curve.

​Shinya Hasegawa, who batted first in the opening game, was never removed from the team's lineup until the end of September, playing in 132 games, the second-highest total on the team. He also cleared the required number of at-bats for the first time, batting .225 with 6 Home Run, 36 RBI and 9 stolen base. This offseason, he is undergoing training in the Puerto Rico Winter League. We look forward to seeing him improve even further next season.

​Takayoshi Yamamura also stood out in the second half of the season. After being promoted in June, he recorded a batting average of .289 in 14 games. In September, he recorded a batting average of .301 with 3 Home Run 12 RBI in 22 games. This season, he played in a career-high 71 games, posting a batting average of .246.

Will aggressive reinforcements pay off as the team aims to advance to the top next season?

With a team batting average of .232 and 410 runs scored, the lowest in the league, Saitama Seibu Lions still lacks scoring power, but the team has some key players who will be key players in rebuilding the team in the 2025 season. This offseason, the first draft pick in the team is Meiji University catcher Taiga Kojima, free agent Yokohama DeNA's Masashi Kuwahara, and Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters' Kazunari Ishii In addition to acquiring new players, the team has also been actively strengthening its roster, including acquiring Lin An-ke, who has a track record of winning Home Run run and RBI titles in the Chinese Professional baseball (CPBL).

　Sosuke Genda With the players Shuta Tonosaki Although the player is 33, he is still in good health. Takumi Kuriyama Players and veterans Takeya Nakamura player, Ginjiro Sumiya There are also players waiting in the wings. Next season they will aim to advance to Class A for the first time in four years and win the championship for the first time in seven years. It will be interesting to see how each player performs.