<h3>Hiroshima Carp aiming for first league championship in six years 
The young mainstay has finally awakened in his sixth year as a professional&#8230;</h3>
<figure id="attachment_383851" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-383851" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="6d7f48c6"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/07/5893e455089de03ec8617caa46a42d4d.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-383851" class="wp-caption-text"> Born in Hyogo Prefecture in 2000. While a student at Houtoku Gakuen, he was selected for the U-18 Japan National Team, and after graduation in 2007, he was drafted first overall by the Hiroshima team.</figcaption></figure>
 I don&#8217;t think about hitting home runs. It&#8217;s no use aiming for something I can&#8217;t hit. &#8230;&#8230; (laughs)
 (laughs)&#8221; The young carp, in his sixth year as a professional baseball player, has reached the point of his &#8220;awakening,&#8221; he said modestly.
 Kaito Koen, 24, who was drafted first overall by Hiroshima in 1919, became a regular starter in 2009 with his wide defensive range and sure-handed hitting.
 However, in the second year of manager Takahiro Arai&#8217;s tenure, Koen was given a major role as &#8220;No. 4 at third.
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 To be honest, before the season started, I never imagined I would be batting in the middle of the lineup. The day I was asked to play the No. 4 position for the first time (May 7), I was indeed surprised. It was a regular season game, so there was no reading of the roster or words from the coaches or manager, and when I saw the order written on the board in the locker room, I realized for the first time that I was playing fourth (laughs).
 (Laughs.) At first, I had a hard time defending third because the speed of the batted ball and the distance between the ball and the catch are different from those of the shortstop. But now I am getting used to it, and every position is the same in terms of being able to contribute to the team.
 The Central League&#8217;s No. 4 third baseman, Kazuma Okamoto (28) of the Giants and Munetaka Murakami (24) of the Yakult baseball team, have a strong image as a heavy hitter. However, Koen&#8217;s one home run this season sets him apart from them.
 He said, &#8220;Rather than forcing myself to hit long balls and destroying my swing, it is better to stick to being the &#8220;No. 4&#8221; player. I think of myself as just one member of the batting lineup.
 Koen&#8217;s team-oriented approach has paid off, as he is now leading the team with a .295 batting average and has 31 runs batted in (as of July 25). The reason for his strong performance is the trust he has developed with manager Arai, who, like Koen, played fourth and third for the Carp.
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 He said, &#8220;Actually, I haven&#8217;t made any changes to my batting form. But if I had to name a reason for my good performance, I would have to say that manager Arai trusts me and continues to use me. He doesn&#8217;t give me long-winded technical guidance at critical moments in games, but instead says shortly, &#8216;I&#8217;ll leave it to you! or, &#8220;Even if you strike out, come back with an open mind! He would say something like, &#8220;You&#8217;re in charge! These words motivate me.
 Koen, who has won the trust of his coaches and is on his way to becoming a star, is also a father at home, raising two daughters with his model wife, Lisa Watanabe (22). At home, he is a father raising two daughters with his model wife, Risa Watanabe (22). He often shows his childish side by posting pictures drawn by his children on his SNS.
 Some players go golfing, fishing, or drinking in their off time, but I spend most of my time playing with my children. I am usually away from home on tours, so I try to spend as much time as possible with my children outside of baseball.
 Koen&#8217;s number one goal this season is to play in every game, something he has never accomplished.
 I am not in a position to talk about numbers yet. First of all, I want to contribute to the team without being out of action and do my best in the opportunities I am given.
 He is humble to the end of the line. The spirit of team play that the Carp has passed down from generation to generation has been imprinted on the new No. 4.
<figure id="attachment_383853" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-383853" style="width: 2030px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="b6f4cf47"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/07/b9c5c795d92135e884c9f8f4bc22026d.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-383853" class="wp-caption-text"> Although he says, &#8220;I am not in a position to talk about numbers,&#8221; he is slowly beginning to see his first 30% batting average in a season.</figcaption></figure>
 From the August 9, 2024 issue of FRIDAY

 Hiroyuki Komatsu

 Kaito Koen joined the Hiroshima Toyo Carp as a first-round draft pick in 1919. He is now in his sixth year as a professional player and has reached the point of his "awakening." "I'm not conscious of home runs," he said modestly. What is Koen's goal?

Hiroshima Carp’s Kaito Koen embodies the image of the No. 4 hitter of the new era: “I am only one of the batting lineup.

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