Shintaro Fujinami’s monthly four dead balls went from 19 to 5…Shintaro Fujinami “improved dramatically with the transfer,” which is obvious at a glance! A series of photos of his drastically changed form
His defensive batting average was in the 10-point range until late June, but by September, it had dropped to the 4-point range. An expert in motion analysis clearly explains "the reason for his dramatic revival.
13.00 and 4.66.
The Orioles’ Shintaro Fujinami (29) had been in the 10-point range until late June, but as of October 12, he was back in the 7-point range. Let’s compare his pitching in May before and in September after the move.
Athletics (May before transfer)
Takashi Kawamura, an expert in motion analysis and associate professor at the University of Tsukuba’s College of Physical Education, explains.
The upper and lower body work in tandem, and the movement has become smoother. This allows the power to be transferred to the ball more efficiently.
The first thing to note in (1) at the startup is the position of the glove.
It used to be at the same height as the chin, but now it is above the ears. The higher you raise the glove, the more your arm recoils and you can swing more vigorously. It makes the ball snappier.”
(2) Also, look at the position of the glove.
In May, it was at chest level, but by September, it had risen to shoulder level. The movement of the two hands in tandem is similar to the seesaw principle. If the left hand is raised higher, the right hand drops lower, and if the left hand is lowered, the right hand rises higher. The gap between the two increases the power of the pitches.
In April, Fujinami gave up 19 earned runs, but in September he gave up 5. The reason for this improvement can be seen in (3).
Fujinami said, “My right hand, which holds the ball, is closer to my head since I joined the Orioles. Humans use their eyes to see the target. If you throw the ball from closer to the head, it stands to reason that your control will be better.”
In (4), you can see that his upper and lower body movements have become smoother.
The elbow position has become higher, which is ideal for overthrowing. When I was with the Athletics team, my elbow position was low and I swung like a side throw, even though the movement was basically an overthrow. There was a lot of waste in my body movements, and my power was not being transferred to the ball properly.
The finish of the game (5) was also very different.
Before the move, his upper body tended to move forward, and it was clear that his body was not moving smoothly. After the transfer, my center of gravity is lower and my weight is firmly on my hip joints.
Will Fujinami be able to make a full recovery?
Fujinami will probably be used as a reliever for a while, but he will be able to return to the starting lineup if he can produce results. Fujinami’s ability as a pitcher is greater than that of Shohei Otani, who can always throw a straight ball over 160 km/h. I think he can win 10 games easily. I think he can win 10 games easily.
The day is near when Fujinami will regain the brilliance of his Hanshin days, when he won double digits for three consecutive years after joining the team.
Orioles (September, after the move)
From “FRIDAY” October 13 and 20, 2023
PHOTO： Taguchi Yuji
