He recorded strike out than innings pitched in the minor leagues.

Pitcher Hayate pitcher joined Chiba Lotte Marines this season. He was drafted 8th in the 2022 developmental draft by Fukuoka Softbank, but underwent Tommy John surgery in January of the following year, forcing him into a long period of rehabilitation. Nevertheless, in his third professional season last year, he made his debut in the minor leagues and demonstrated his high strike out ability. He made his presence felt as a left-handed reliever, appearing in 31 games and posting ERA of 2.57. In July, he earned his long-desired roster spot and appeared in two games for the first team. However, he was released by the team in the offseason and signed a roster contract with Chiba Lotte Marines in November.

Last season, Chiba Lotte Marines suffered the league's worst relief ERA. Can this left-handed pitcher, hoping to make a name for himself in his new team, become a pillar of bullpen? In this column, we'll take a closer look at Miyazaki's pitch style using data.

He achieved excellent results regardless of whether hitter was left-handed or right-handed.

First, one of Miyazaki pitcher 's strengths is that he does not suffer from opponents hitter left and right. Avg Last season, he was in the top 10 percent of all left right-handed hitter sides in the farm. He also posted an strike out ratio in the 25% range, 7 to 8 percentage points higher than the farm average, and he had outstanding results on both sides of the ball. If he can become not only a one-point reliever, but also a 1 inning reliever, he could be a very encouraging asset for Chiba Lotte Marines the relief corps, which is trying to raise the level of its relief staff.

He uses cutter against left-handed hitter and change-up against right-handed hitter

Miyazaki pitcher 's best weapon is a straight line with a maximum speed of 152 km/h. In fact, fastball accounts for more than 60% of all pitch, and his pitch style is characterized by pushing hitter with a powerful fastball. On the other hand, the pitch percentage of breaking ball varies greatly between the left and right of hitter. cutter accounted for 24.4% of left-handed hitter, the second largest after fastball, and change-up at 4.8%. right-handed hitter spend more change-up at 25.6%, while cutter only 9.6%.

A significantly higher rate of strikeouts than average.

Looking at the swing swing rate of the two pitches, which each have a high ratio of pitch to the left and right hitter, Miyazaki's pitcher high swing stealing ability stands out. Against left-handed hitter, both fastball and cutter have excellent numbers, with cutter in particular marking 47.6%, which is well above the farm average.

In addition, against right-handed hitter, both fastball and change-up were above the farm average, and fastball 's swing swing rate was 27.3%, which was higher than that of left-handed hitter opponents. It is thought that the high swing rate of each pitch has led to a high strike out rate regardless of right-handed hitter left.

There are challenges to overcome in order to establish oneself in the first team.

On the other hand, there are also challenges to establish in the first team. It's ball control. Last season, his BB rate on the farm was 4.63 and his Hit by Pitch rate was 5.66, which is roughly inning to give four Hit by Pitch at a rate of one or more in two or more. The percentage of fastball thrown into the strike zone was only 47.7%, which is 3.7 points lower than the farm average, and 6.0 points lower than the first-team average. Even if you have a fastball or breaking ball that can steal the swing, if the ball takes the lead and makes the count worse, you will not be able to fully utilize its strengths. Whether he can improve his ball control and continue to pitch ahead of strike is likely to be a major key to establishing himself in the first team.

Miyazaki pitcher who welcomed his fourth season as a professional in a new world. The appeal from the spring camp has been steadily fruitful, and he has won a ticket to the opening team. In order to make a comeback from last season's bottom place, he wants to establish his position in the team as they are trying to make a fresh start under new coach Saburo. Can the left-hander, who has overcome adversity, be able to support Chiba Lotte Marines 's bullpen? I would like to pay attention to pitcher Miyazaki's challenge.

*All numbers in the text and table are as of the end of the 2025 season.

Text and Data Stadium