Taiga Hirasawa Credits Kuriyama for Igniting His Career Revival

“I was lucky they gave me a chance”

“Right now, the team is playing really well, and we’re in the championship race. As we head into the summer, this ballpark (Belluna Dome) gets extremely hot. I want to make sure I don’t fade during that stretch and contribute to the team all the way through the end of the season.”

Those determined words come from Taiga Hirasawa (28) of the Saitama Seibu Lions.

In his second season with Seibu, Hirasawa was promoted to the first team on April 5 and immediately made his presence felt. He appeared in 14 games in April, going 17-for-47 with a .362 batting average, one home run, and five RBIs, firmly establishing himself as the Lions’ everyday No. 6 hitter. In his 11th professional season, he has finally broken through.

During his days at Sendai Ikuei High School in Miyagi Prefecture, Hirasawa hit three home runs at the 2015 Summer Koshien tournament. Although his team lost in the championship game to Tokai University Sagami High School, led by Shinnosuke Ogasawara (now with the Yomiuri Giants, 28), he became one of the tournament’s standout performers and earned national recognition.

That same year, he was selected in the first round of the NPB Draft by two teams before signing with the Chiba Lotte Marines. Touted as a promising infielder and a future face of the franchise, expectations were high. However, over nine seasons with Lotte, he appeared in just 306 first-team games and finished with a career batting average below .200.

A turning point came for Hirasawa, whose professional career was at a crossroads, on December 9, 2024, when he was selected by the Saitama Seibu Lions in the Active Player Draft.

“I had a feeling I’d probably be chosen in the Active Player Draft, so I was mentally prepared. But Seibu had struggled that season—they finished last with a 49-91-3 record—so I actually thought it would be a great opportunity. I felt lucky that a team like Seibu gave me another chance.”

Unfortunately, on Opening Day last year, he suffered a severe lower back injury and was removed from the active roster. The injury flared up again during the summer, preventing him from contributing for most of the season. Perhaps because of that experience, Hirasawa remains cautious despite his strong start this year.

“More than anything, I don’t want to be sidelined by injury, so I make sure to take good care of my body every day with the help of the trainers. As for baseball, I know I can’t afford to stop hitting, so I have to produce results at the plate. I’m not a home run hitter. In practice, I don’t try to hit towering fly balls—instead, I focus on driving hard line drives through the gaps in the outfield. I think I’ve been able to carry that approach into games this season.

Defensively, one of my strengths is that I can play multiple positions. So whenever there’s an opening, I want to do my job in the field, and on top of that, I go into every game determined to contribute with my bat as well.”

His numbers have cooled somewhat since May. He hit .253 that month, and on June 7 he missed a game because of lower back tightness. Even so, on the day this interview was conducted (June 11), he returned to the starting lineup for the first time in five days and promptly collected two hits, once again delivering results.

“Even though he’s a veteran, he still works that hard.”

What has changed since his days with the Chiba Lotte Marines?

In an interview with Bunka Hoso published on May 29, Hirasawa offered this explanation:

“Right after I joined the Lions during spring training last year, Coach Toshihisa Nishi (54), who had been DeNA’s farm team manager when I was playing for Lotte’s second team, pointed out a few things he had noticed from watching me over the years. I’ve been working on those ever since. It was a different perspective from what I’d heard in Lotte, so I took his advice, digested it in my own way, and incorporated it into my game.”

Other than that, Hirasawa says he doesn’t feel there is a significant difference from his time with Lotte.

“The atmosphere is similar. There are a lot of young players, and everyone has a real team-first mentality. Once we get on a roll, we really take off. I think the relaxed environment comes from everyone feeding off each other’s momentum.”

Hirasawa also credits the influence of the team’s veteran leader.

“Watching Takumi Kuriyama is incredible. More than anything, it’s his preparation. He takes an unbelievable number of swings, even in practice. While the rest of us are doing fielding and baserunning drills, he’ll spend about an hour hitting off the pitching machine. I was genuinely surprised to see a veteran putting in that much work.

Back when I was with Lotte, Kazuya Fukuura also spent countless hours taking batting practice, and I remember watching Takashi Toritani train with incredible discipline early every morning. I truly admired them. Even now, just being able to watch Kuriyama-san practice up close is something I’m really grateful for. It has made me realize just how important preparation and the amount of work you put in really are.”

There is another factor behind his strong form. At the end of 2024, after joining Seibu, Hirasawa married an older woman outside the entertainment industry. He says life with his wife has had a major impact not only physically but mentally as well.

“My body has changed thanks to the support I get with my diet. I’ve gained muscle and lowered my body fat percentage. I’m in really good shape now. I train hard too, of course, but I think my diet has made a huge difference. I hardly ever eat out. I usually eat at home, and maybe once a month, if I happen to be in Tokyo, we’ll go out for a meal. I don’t drink alcohol either.

On my days off, I just stay at home and do nothing. I don’t really have any hobbies, and I don’t even watch TV. I just relax, and before I know it, the day is over. I get support in every aspect of my life so I can focus entirely on baseball.”

Now an indispensable member of a Seibu team aiming for both the Pacific League title and the Japan Series championship, Hirasawa’s breakout season is one to keep watching.