Under new manager Mamoru Kishida, the 2025 season ended with a 74-66-3 record and a .529 winning percentage, finishing in third place and entering Class A for the first time in two years. Orix Buffaloes In this article Orix Buffaloes pitcher we look back at the 2025 season for the team.

This season, FA signee Alen Kuri pitcher led the way with a team-best 11 wins. He was followed by Ryuhei Sotani pitcher with 8 wins, Hiroya Miyagi pitcher, Daiki Tajima pitcher with 7 wins, and Espinosa pitcher with 5 wins around the rotation.

On the other hand, while the relievers, Seiryu Kotajima pitcher and Kosei Yoshida pitcher, who had been the core of the team until last season, left the team, Machado pitcher and Perdomo pitcher, both foreigners, pitched the first and second most games for the team, supporting the team. And young players from the developmental ranks, such as Kaito Saiki pitcher and Kento Kawase pitcher, emerged. Midway through the season, Sho Iwasaki pitcher joined the team from Chunichi.

Alen Kuri, who made the most starts on the team with 25 appearances, led pitcher staff.

pitcher joined the team as a free agent from Hiroshima, has been performing brilliantly in his first season since the transfer. On April 5th, he pitched well against Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, allowing only one runs in eight innings, earning his first win since the transfer. In the same game on the 18th, he pitched complete game win, allowing only six hit, five strike out one runs, giving him a 1.16 ERA in April, getting off to a strong start.

In July, he struggled in the middle of the season, finishing with a 1-2 record and a 4.50 ERA in four games. However, he recovered towards the end of the season, and in September he pitched four games with a 2-0 record, a total of 26 inning, and a 1.04 ERA, again posting strong results. In particular, on September 29th, against Tohoku Rakuten Eagles, he pitched 129 pitches, allowing three hit strike out five, earning his first shutout game win since the transfer.

In the second game of the "2025 Persol Climax Series first baseman League" First Stage against Hokkaido Nippon-Ham, he pitched four runs innings as the second reliever, demonstrating his dedicated pitch throughout the postseason.

Opening pitcher Hiroya Miyagi wins 7 games, Ryuhei Sotani sets new career high

Miyagi, wearing number 18, was pitcher opening pitcher. Although the game ended in a draw, he pitched well, allowing only two hit and one runs in eight innings. He continued to pitch in four games in April, posting ERA 1.50 ERA, pitching a total of 30 inning. After three straight wins against Chiba Lotte Marines Marines on May 21, Miyagi went two months without a win, but finished the regular season with four straight wins, starting with a game against Saitama Seibu Lions on July 30.

This season, he pitched in 23 games, second only to his career-high of 24 games in 2022. He faced many ace pitchers and win total was limited, but he still finished with a winning record of 7 wins and 3 losses.

Ryuhei Sotani pitcher in a career-high 21 games this season, his third year in the league. On May 18th, against Saitama Seibu Lions, he pitched his first complete game win, allowing four hit, no Hit by Pitch six strike out one runs. He's had ups and downs since June, but on July 11th, he pitched well against Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, strike out 10 batters and allowing no runs in eight innings, earning his career-high eighth win. This season, he's pitched a total of 19 innings in three games Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, posting ERA of 1.89, demonstrating his excellent chemistry.

Daiki Tajima pitched two shutout game, while Espinoza Shumpeita Yamashita maintained their place in the rotation and made their postseason debuts.

pitcher changed pitch form to a windup midway through last season, and has varied pitch form throughout this season. In his third appearance of the season, on April 30th against Chiba Lotte Marines he recorded shutout game win in three seasons, and on July 16th against Tohoku Rakuten Eagles, he threw a career-high 134 pitches to record his second shutout game win. Wins were scarce after that, but he won two straight games on September 16th and 23rd. He finished the season tied at 7-7.

Espinoza pitcher has defended the rotation, starting 23 games tied with Miyagi pitcher. In April and May, they achieved HQS in 3 out of 7 games, but they were off to a difficult start with 0 wins and 3 losses due to lack of support. Still, they won 3 consecutive victories since their first win against Hiroshima on June 5th. In August, he continued to pitch well with a ERA 1.71 ERA in five games.

Although he did not reach the regulation innings pitched, he threw 129.2 innings, going 5-8 with a ERA of 2.98. He created a stable game and became an indispensable part of the team.

Shumpeita Yamashita, now in his fifth year with the pitcher, was delayed due to a back injury, making his first appearance on September 7th. His next appearance on the 18th saw him pitch his longest of the season, 7.2 innings, closer just one runs, and posted ERA 1.37 ERA in three games in September. He pitched as the third reliever in the final regular season game against Tohoku Rakuten Eagles on October 5th, providing excellent relief by pitching two innings, allowing just one hit and no runs.

Furthermore, pitcher was entrusted with starting the first game of the first stage of the 2025 Persol Climax Series first baseman League. In his first appearance in the postseason, runs in six innings, but ended up being the lose pitcher. He hopes to be in top condition from the start of next season and pitch for the entire year.

reliever relievers are in full swing

reliever pitchers were very different from those from last season, but two foreign players in particular continued to perform well as they did last year.

pitcher made the most appearances on the team with 58, recording 28 saves, third in the league, and breaking his own record for the most saves by a foreign pitcher on the team. In particular, he showed outstanding stability by pitching 20 consecutive games without allowing runs from June 5th to August 9th.

pitcher Perdomo, who joined the team midway through last season, also showed solid performance, making 50 appearances, second only to pitcher, and tying for second in the league with 33 hold. From April 22 to July 6, he recorded hold points in 17 consecutive games, and during that time he recorded hold against all Central League League teams in the "Nippon Life Central vs. Pacific League Interleague Series 2025."

Young players from development teams make great strides

Another young player from the developmental stage, pitcher, also made a great leap forward.

Kaito Saiki pitcher Rakuten Eagles win On August 11, he pitched the bottom of the 10th inning of a two-run lead extra inning against Chiba Lotte Marines and got all the outs runs for his first professional save. He got all the outs struck out and earned his first professional save. In the end, he pitched in 38 games, going 2-1 with 11 hold wins, 4 saves, and ERA a 1.87 ERA in his breakout year.

win He also made his first professional appearance Kento Kawase pitcher on April 22 against Fukuoka Softbank and his first professional appearance hold against Tohoku Rakuten Eagles on August 23, and pitched in 23 games, gaining a lot of experience in the first team.

Veteran Sho Iwasaki joined the team mid-season but pitched in 37 games.

Sho Iwasaki, 36 years old and in his 18th year as a pro, joined the team on May 30 in a trade from Chunichi Sho Iwasaki pitcher. He was promoted to the first team on June 7, and on June 28 against Tohoku Rakuten Eagles, he struck out three in one inning closer, bringing his total to 100 hold. After the middle of the season, he became a regular in the winning pattern and pitched in 37 games, going 4-1 with a 16 hold and 2.12 ERA record, supporting bullpen the team with a stable pitch record.

Although they have made it into Class A for the first time in two years, their team ERA for the 2025 season is 3.37, tied for fourth in the league, a drop from last season (2.82). Will they be able to improve pitcher next season as they aim to win the league championship for the first time in three years?

Written by Aoi Nishijima