Lotte's Kyota Fujiwara started in the third batter and right starting line-up in the opening game against Softbank on the 28th, contributing to win with two hit and two RBI.

Fujiwara missed the opening day of last season with the first team due to a fractured right patella after being hit by a ball during a game against Softbank on March 10th. However, this season he was able to start the season with the first team without any injury, saying "I was injured last year, but I've been with the team since the start this year, so I want to do my best in the first team all year and avoid getting injured."

Fujiwara, who had batted first against Softbank starter Kohei Arihara with two outs in the first inning and a fly out to center field in the second inning, said, "I had a chance, so I went to swing at breaking ball from count earlier in the inning. runner I was happy to get a run back," said Arihara, who hit a two-run homer off the second change-up pitch he threw from one ball out in front of the lights.

In the 8th inning with the score at 7-1 and no runner on base, in his 4th at-bat against Yuki Tsumori, he held on with 3 balls and 2 strike, hitting the 8th straight fastball into left-center field for doble, creating an opportunity. Polanco's next hit to center center fielder allowed him to score the 8th run.

◆ For this season

Fujiwara started last season late due to an injury, but was promoted on June 28th. He commented, "It's been something I've been working on for a long time, so I haven't been able to compete throughout the season, but I've been improving over the last two or three months, and this is the first time I've gone three months without any ups and downs in my performance, so I think that's an area where I've grown." His performance was minimal throughout the season, and although he did not reach the required number of at-bats, he finished the season with a batting average of .290.

At the autumn practice held at Zozo Marine Stadium after the season ended, the team tried hitting inside balls in the opposite direction from center fielder. "I think that if you hit it out, you can attack, so if you try to pull it in too hard or think about it too much, it will definitely fall apart. Sometimes I try to pull the inside ball with the intention of hitting it in the opposite direction from the bat, and I think it will basically go in the opposite direction, but if you can hit it well in that way, you will get results, and I don't think your form will easily fall apart."

In an interview on the final day of fall practice, he said, "I've gotten bigger, and I've never been able to hit a big one in the opposite direction before, so I'm glad I was able to do that and hit a few home run runs. At first, I often imagined hitting the ball to the head of short stop or in front of left field, but as I continued to practice, I started to feel like I could hit big balls in the opposite direction. I think that's an area where I've grown." He went into the off-season feeling good about this.

During the off-season, he focused on training alone and building up his physique. At the spring training camp in Ishigakijima that began on February 1, he had a different menu for the first and second sessions, but he said, "The amount of training hasn't decreased, so there was no gap at all in terms of fatigue, but it's just that my technique hasn't improved," and he joined the team on February 13.

During the batting routine that day, he rarely raised his right foot to hit against the machine or the batting pitcher, and hit almost entirely with a no-step batting style. His batting form when using the no-step batting style also seemed to have changed compared to last year. "Mechanically, a no-step batting style is better, but when it comes to actual games, it's a form that I don't use, and I haven't been able to hit at all. There were a lot of slipping hits and hooked hits, so I'd like to raise my foot and think about it," he said, continuing, "It's not as small as during the season, but I've made some pretty big changes, so I feel like I'm still in the middle of it."

Even so, during batting practice on February 15th, he was hitting with a batting form similar to last season. When asked, Fujiwara answered, "Yes," and explained the reason for this, saying, "I don't have the image of going back to last year's form, but in the end, when I make corrections, I automatically go back to my best form." He continued, "It's best if I can raise my foot in a no-step form, so I'm conscious of keeping that feeling in mind."

Regarding Fujiwara's batting, batting coach Kurihara Kenta revealed, "I spoke with him, and he said that he was swinging really well today (February 15th), so we've been thinking about various aspects of his mechanics. When his swing is a little off, his upper body tends to move forward, so we talked about how he should just focus on that."

Fujiwara kicked off the spring training camp in Ishigaki Island feeling confident, saying, "My batting is getting a little better and I'm feeling good about it, so I'm a little worried, but there are also some exciting aspects."

Fujiwara made his exhibition debut on March 7 against Softbank, and although his batting average was .261, hit in six of the eight games. He hit in five consecutive games from the game against Nippon-Ham on March 12 to the game against The Giants on the 23rd.

After the exhibition games, he felt good and said, "How should I put it? My swing trajectory has changed and my swing is getting a little stronger, so I think I'm batting in a more adult style, where the ball flies without swinging."

Among those was his first at-bat against Nippon-Ham Fighters on March 12th, with the score at 0-0 and two outs and no runner on base, when Shoma Kanemura threw a 123 km/h power curveball on the fifth pitch with two balls and two strike and he hit triple to right-center field with a no-step batting technique. Fujiwara himself said, "I think it was the curveball. I was in a tight spot and then I got a long hit, so I pulled it. I think that was a positive thing."

During the exhibition games, his performance did not seem to fluctuate much, but he was enthusiastic, saying, "There haven't been many this year, so far. I won't know until the season starts, but I don't think I'll be able to play unless I perform well, so I'll do my best," and he immediately got two hit in the opening game.

The competition for outfielder is fierce, and outfield rivals such as Daito Yamamoto, Koki Yamaguchi, Shingo Ishikawa, and Aito, who started in the second team at the start of the season, have achieved results in the farm team. In order to reach the required number of at-bats this season, he has no choice but to continue to achieve results. "Of course, it will be a tough battle, but I will do my best to set that as my goal and get out there." This is his seventh year, and I hope he will reach the required number of at-bats and achieve the results that The Marines fans expect.

Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita