Nippon-Ham, even if they win the championship, will it be “Farewell Shinjo”? Professional Baseball: Bright and dark sides! Behind the Bench Report

Baseball spring has arrived!　The teams have already played about 15 games, and the teams are already starting to show signs of a difference in their performance (figures in this article are as of April 13).

The first part is here! Pro Baseball Wide “Behind the Benches Report” Central League

Japan’s No. 1 guardian god holds a “bomb

In the Pacific League, SoftBank opened the season with a sweep of Nippon Ham, and then made a good dash to five straight wins.

On April 2, against Rakuten, in the 9th inning with the score tied behind, second-year player Yudai Shoko (23) made an error in judgment when he came on as a substitute, and manager Hiroki Kokubo (54) reprimanded him, saying, “It was a painful mistake. In the final game of the open tournament, Yoshiyasu Sasagawa (23), a rising star who made a defensive error, was given a “one-shot red”. He had been assured a spot in the first team for the opening day of the season after showing extraordinary hitting in the opening game, but he was ruthlessly demoted. Manager Kokubo has a tendency to be lenient toward proven performers and harsh on young players. I hope that doesn’t lead to the youngsters’ decline and stunted growth.

The average age of the nine starters in the starting lineup is 31.7 for SoftBank and 25.7 for Nippon-Ham. Nippon-Ham’s average age is 25.8. It is fine as long as veterans such as Hotaka Yamakawa (34) and Yuki Yanagita (37) are healthy, but “The season is a long one. The season is a long one, and I think they will run out of steam at some point. ……

The pitching staff is also showing signs of falling apart. KoyaFujii (29), one of the “Tree Trio,” the team’s prized relievers, has undergone Tommy John surgery and will miss the entire season. Hiroki Matsumoto (30) has been in a slump with a 4.00 earned run average, and closer Kazuki Sugiyama (28) has been even worse, with a 9.00 earned run average. He was demoted to the second base. The reporter in charge of the case continued, “Sugiyama was not going to participate in the WBC.

When Sugiyama withdrew from the WBC, he submitted a medical report stating that he had an elbow injury. I thought it was just an excuse for him to withdraw from the WBC, because there is no pitcher in the professional game who has a perfect elbow, but judging from his pitching this season, he may really be carrying a bomb. That would be the cue for Osuna (31), the former saves champion of the Majors, who signed a huge 4-year, 4 billion yen contract, but his defensive average in the open games was in the 4-point range. Even during his adjustment to the Triple-A team, he was unable to strike out any Independent League batters and was stuck with 13 pitches, so he is not a reliable suppressor for the first team. Kohei Arihara (33), the top starter, is out, and lefty ace Moinello (30), who arrived in Japan late, is also undergoing adjustment. With an Achilles heel in pitching and hitting, winning a third straight championship will not be easy.

Arihara, who unexpectedly returned to Nippon Ham, “seemed to have been thinking of leaving the team since the middle of last season,” said sportswriter Yamato Fujimoto.

“Apparently, he was not satisfied with Softbank’s evaluation of him. …… It is said that the reason he avoided his old team, Ham, on his return to Japan was because he was not comfortable with Tsuyoshi Shinjo, 54, but it was believed that Shinjo would leave the team at the end of last season. I think that is one of the aspects that encouraged him to return to Ham. Shinjo unexpectedly stayed on as manager, though (laughs).”

With Arihara’s addition, Nichi-Ham’s starting rotation is now so full that SachiyaYamazaki (33) can be moved to the bullpen. Haruki Hosono (24) and Kota Tatsu (22), who both pitched no-hitters, are poised to make their breakthrough, and a long-sought victory is in sight.

However, it is believed that Shinjo will step down whether he wins or loses. Even if he steps down as manager, the team is planning to offer him some kind of flexible post so that he can stay on, but considering Shinjo’s character, he will probably not stay on.

The Orioles have a lot of work to do…

The Orix, who are chasing the top two teams, have to find a way to cover for the long-term absence of their ace, HiroyaMiyagi (24).

Miyagi was the opening day pitcher, but Mamoru Kishida, 44, had planned to send him to face Shunpeita Yamashita, 23, a 160 km/h right-handed pitcher. Expectations were that high, but he gave up because of right elbow pain. He also has back pain and has not been active throughout the year. If only he hadn’t been injured, he could have been an ace.

One of the expected saviors is TaisukeYamaoka (30), who is currently on the farm.

He was forced to refrain from activities after his name was first mentioned in the online casino scandal. There was a big difference in punishment from the players who were subsequently found out, and I’m sure some of them must be thinking, ‘Why only me ……. This year, he has decided to compete again as a starter, and this is partly due to Director Kishida’s parental love for Yamaoka, who has been unable to motivate himself fully, and to give him a fresh start as a starter, which he had hoped for.

After the departure of its absolute ace Tatsuya Imai (27), Seibu spent about 1.5 billion yen to acquire Kuwabara from DeNA and Kazunari Ishii (31) from Nippon Ham.

The addition of Kuwabara is a big deal, but we had to convert our main gun, Seiya Watanabe (23), from outfield to third base because of positional conflicts. Watanabe’s defense at third base is stiff in both movement and handling. His batting average is still strong, but he has already recorded three errors,” said a Seibu reporter for a sports newspaper.

On the other hand, Ishii had a “special ability” to be “strong at the Belluna Dome. Last season, Ishii’s batting average was .259, but it jumped to .387 at the Seibu’s home base, the Verna Dome. According to this reporter, “What is noteworthy is his fast batting speed. When we measured it during spring camp, Ishii topped the team. The Seibu team was also impressed with his speed.

However, his batting average was .081 in the opening game, and even after the season opener, he was demoted early due to his super low batting average of .091. The second team has many good players, including Shuta Tosaki (33), who hit .417 in the open game, and there were voices from within the team saying, “Ishii, are you still there? ……”

The season has only just begun. There is still plenty of time to turn things around and strike back!

From the May 1-8, 2026 issue of FRIDAY