“Who’s Idea Was That?!” — Giants Fans React as Daiki Masuda Named Mentor to Richard Sunagawa

“Take care of Richard for me.”

Infielder Yuto Akihiro (22) and pitcher Ryusei Oe (26) were traded to the SoftBank Hawks in exchange for infielder Richard Sunagawa (25), who transferred to the Giants. In his very first game after the move, on the 13th against Hiroshima, Richard started at third base batting seventh — and immediately blasted his first home run since joining.

“During that game on the 13th, not just the Giants bench but also the SoftBank players were constantly getting updates from staff backstage. And the moment he hit that home run, cheers of ‘Richard did it!’ broke out,” said a former SoftBank team official.

Manager Hiroki Kokubo (53), who ultimately approved the trade, even started his post-game press conference that day by saying “He hit one, huh,” seemingly more interested in Richard’s performance than his own team’s result — showing just how much he had been invested in Richard’s career.

Brought into the organization as a highly touted “Romance Cannon” prospect of the Reiwa era, Richard had struggled with various issues both on and off the field.

“At SoftBank, he had a bad habit of chasing breaking balls away and striking out. While he dominated the minor leagues, winning multiple home run titles, he could never build confidence at the top level. He also had a chronic problem with being late. Despite his tremendous potential, those mental and personal habits held him back,” the same official added.

Now, adapting to the rule-bound Giants culture would be no easy feat. Manager Shinnosuke Abe (46) quickly appointed a mentor to guide Richard — and surprisingly, it was infielder Daiki Masuda (31).

“Masuda, you’ll remember, was just caught up in the recent online casino scandal alongside outfielder Louis Okoye (27). Even though both had reported it to the team beforehand, regaining lost trust requires focusing fully on their performance now,” commented a former Giants player.

“The reaction around the team was hilarious: ‘Wait, he’s the one mentoring him?! (laughs)’ and ‘Don’t you dare teach him online gambling! (laughs).’ But apparently, Abe has a clear intention behind this. He wants Masuda himself to grow as a role model by taking responsibility for someone else. And he’s hoping both Masuda and Richard will mature together through this,” the former player added.

Masuda, long known for his sincere character and relentless work ethic, has always been respected for his attitude. With loyal support and mutual growth, both mentor and pupil have a chance to redeem themselves and shed past stigmas.