Kosei Yoshida, the star of Akita, is transferred to the Orix.

I was surprised because I couldn’t have predicted it. …… It’s my first time, so I don’t really feel it.”

Kosei Yoshida, 22, of Nippon-Ham, was not able to hide his confusion as he addressed the press before the team’s closing ceremony in Sapporo, Hokkaido, on November 24. The announcement was made on the same day of a one-for-one trade between Yoshida and Orix’s Yuta Kuroki. Yoshida had just renewed his contract three days earlier for an estimated 16 million yen per year, a decrease of 4 million yen.

Nichi-Ham also made a drastic trade. Yoshida, who was the runner-up pitcher at the Koshien (Koshien) National High School Baseball Championships in Akita Prefecture and was drafted first overall, is in his fifth year as a professional baseball player. It is surprising to release a pitcher who is not only popular as “Akita’s star” but also has a future with a straight line of over 150 km/h. On the other hand, Yoshida had been sluggish.

On the other hand, it is probably true that Yoshida has been sluggish, winning only three games in five years, perhaps because of the success he has experienced. Yoshida’s most attractive point is his powerful straight ball, but he won his first win in his first professional start against Hiroshima in June 2007 by “dodging pitches. Daisuke Araki, the manager of the second team when he joined the team, said, ‘He pitches like an old man who relies on breaking pitches.

Starting or Relieving?

Since then, Yoshida has also improved his straight ball. However, he may have been dissatisfied with the way he was used. As he told those around him, “I want to be an ace in the future,” Yoshida is a strong believer in being a starter. On the other hand, in recent years, he had mostly pitched as a reliever.

I think he had mixed feelings. Even though he understood that he was still not good enough, he wanted to pitch as a starter. I think Nichi-Ham also understood Yoshida’s wish, but this season they had a strong starting pitching lineup with Naoyuki Uesawa, Takayuki Kato, and Hiromi Ito. In addition, Fukuya Yamazaki will join from Orix next season. There is almost no room for Yoshida.

The trade to the Orix was probably done out of the goodwill of manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo and the team’s executives. Unlike NIHAM, the Orix have ace YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO, who has challenged for a major league contract, and as mentioned above, YAMAZAKI, who won 11 games this season, has declared himself an FA. There is a possibility that Yoshida can compete for a spot in the rotation. I think they released him in consideration of Yoshida’s hopes and prospects.

It seems to be a hopeful trade for Yoshida.

The Orix may be the perfect team for Yoshida.

The Orix team has a reputation for nurturing players,” said Yoshida. The development system is supported by the staff of the former Nichi-Ham, which once nurtured many top-class players such as Yu Darvish and Shohei Otani. GM Junichi Fukura, manager Satoshi Nakajima, pitching coach Kazuyuki Atsusawa, and traveling head coach Seiichiro Nakagaki. ……

In particular, manager Nakajima is from Akita Prefecture, the same prefecture as Yoshida, and will be able to relate to Yoshida in spirit. I think there is a good chance that Yoshida will awaken at Orix, which is familiar with the situation at Nichi-Ham and has a high level of ability to nurture players.

Yoshida created a “Kinzoku whirlwind” at Koshien. Will he be able to pitch in the professional world and make fans’ hearts dance once again?