"Although it's slow, the results are coming, so I think I need to continue to make more of an impact. I hope to work steadily and without rushing."

Lotte's Ryusei Terachi, in his second year after graduating from high school, is fighting hard to make it onto the first team at the start of the season.

Last season, in his first year after graduating from Eastern League, and in his first professional appearance on October 3rd against Nippon-Ham, he hit doble that hit the left wall fence in his first at-bat, marking his first professional hit.

After the season ended, he participated in the Australian Winter League to undergo training. After returning to Japan after the Winter League ended, he faced his challenges, saying, "During January, I practiced on my own. I want to overcome my weaknesses, so when it comes to batting, I try to imagine hitting the ball from the inside, and today (January 28th) I also practiced throwing, and I've noticed that my throws don't flow as much to the side as before, so I've been working on that."

Looking ahead to the spring training camp in Ishigaki Island, he was enthusiastic, saying, "My greatest defense is my batting, but I'd like to make good use of that and produce results even as catcher, and somehow make it onto the first-team stage." However, in his second at-bat at the live BP on February 11, he hit a potential hit to the left field off the third pitch from Koshiro Sakamoto, causing strategy coach Kaneko Makoto to burst into applause.

Terachi reflected, "The sign was for a reverse hit from the third pitch, but I hit it in the opposite direction.It went in straight, but I think I was able to handle slider well."

In a red-and-white game on the same day, he said in his first at-bat, "I went straight in and thought it floated slider and I couldn't quite step on it and it was like I caught it, but I thought it wasn't that bad for a bad at-bat. I think it wasn't a bad at bat at all," he said. Haruya Tanaka to pitcher hit a hard infield hit hit.

On defense, he also caught stolen base Atsuki Tomosugi who was trying to stolen base second base. "I was trying to improve my throwing, but I was able to swing my arm properly in my own way, which led to a good throw, so I think it went really well."

Terachi had made a strong showing in both offense and defense at the Ishigakijima spring training camp, but he was unable to make an impact in the early stages of the external matches that began on February 16. He struggled in February with a batting average of .077 (1 hit At Bat hit) in external matches.

Even after March began, he hit doble in a training match against Korea Lotte on the 1st, but in an exhibition match against DeNA on March 4th, he hit struck out 4 with 3 At Bat, and was also hit in an exhibition match against Hiroshima on the 6th.

The turning point came in an exhibition game against Softbank on March 7th, when he started as the eighth batter and catcher. In his first at-bat in the second inning, he hit hit to right field, and in his third at-bat in the sixth inning with two outs and a runner on first base and the score at 2-0, he hit a skillful doble down the right field line off change-up thrown by Haruhiro Hamaguchi on a two-ball, two-strike count, achieving a multi-hit game.

In the open game against Nippon-Ham on the 12th, also in the 2nd inning, 2-0, at first base, Shoma Kanemura threw the first pitch, a 135 km splitter outside pitch, off-timing but sticking with the lower half of his body to break right doble in time, and in the 3rd inning, 3-1, at first and second base, Yukiya Saito threw the 4th pitch from 1 ball, 2 strike He tucked his elbow and hit a 129 km slider pitch inside the right field line.

When asked about his struggles in the early stages of external games and what led to him being able to hit after returning to Marine Stadium, he analyzed himself, saying, "It was partly mental, but there were many times when I was trying to disrupt my batting, so I wanted to somehow change that, even just a little, and I made an effort to prepare myself to swing at the first pitch."

In the game Softbank on the 7th, he hit Hamaguchi, and in the game against Nippon-Ham on the 12th, hit the inside fastball, which had been his problem, off Tomo Saito. However, Terachi himself was not satisfied, saying, "Because it was breaking ball, I felt like I was able to handle it well.I am still being bitten by some straight balls, so I think that will be an issue for me from now on."

While facing first-team pitcher, he spoke of his challenges, saying, "I basically hit breaking ball. I've also been able to hit fouls with fastball, but I haven't yet developed my own good form. My first priority is to work on being able to hit back fastball."

◆ defense

Regarding defense, he said, "I'm able to block in my own way and I can see that I'm doing a good job, so it's given me a lot of confidence," but he also reflected, "My throwing isn't connecting with what I've been doing in practice. I need to practice that more and be more conscious of it."

Recently, he has been teaming up with ace pitcher Kazuya Ojima as a battery. "I've come to understand the characteristics and pitch style of Mr. Kojima between inning, but I understand it in my own way and am able to communicate properly with Mr. Kojima between inning. I think that's a good thing."

One week until the opening game. "I think I have to show it with my batting, and in the game Rakuten on the 18th, I had a good hit with two outs and the bases bases loaded, but it didn't show in the results. If I had gotten through the gap to third base, I think we would have scored more points, so I think I have to make a strong impression in those situations." As always, he will make an impression with his bat and grab his first opening day spot in the first team.

Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita