[Full Story] Rising Lions Star Hibiki Shinohara Has a Unique Goal: “I Want to Be in Pro Yakyu Spirits”

A growth spurt that even he finds hard to believe

“It’s not like I’ve gained a lot of weight compared with last year, and I only changed my pitching form slightly, mainly the way I lift my leg. Honestly, I’m surprised myself that I’ve been able to achieve results like these.”

The 19-year-old smiled bashfully as he spoke, but there was unmistakable confidence in his eyes. When Hibiki Shinohara of the Saitama Seibu Lions was at Fukui University of Technology Fukui High School, his fastest pitch was 148 km/h. In today’s baseball, where even high school pitchers can throw close to 160 km/h, that was hardly an extraordinary figure. Instead, he was selected in the fifth round of the draft for his precise command.

Yet in just over a year after turning pro, the young Lion has developed into a fireballer capable of reaching 158 km/h. He also became the first high school graduate since Yoshinobu Yamamoto (27) of the Dodgers to record 20 holds in his second professional season, emerging as a key relief pitcher and driving the team’s rise.

Even Shinohara himself says he does not understand exactly why such a dramatic transformation occurred. What he never lacked, however, was the effort required to make it happen.

“What I realized painfully during my rookie season was that I simply didn’t have enough stamina to get through an entire season. That was frustrating, and with a strong desire to improve and take my pitching to another level, I volunteered to join Kaima Taira (26) for his offseason training. I think people tend to associate pitchers’ offseason training with a lot of running, but our main focus was core training and pitching practice using data.”

Taira’s offseason training program, known for his analytical approach, attracts not only players but also trainers and baseball analysts. It was there that Shinohara acquired another powerful weapon.

“I learned a changeup thrown with the middle finger extended, commonly known as a kick change. It’s not a pitch Taira himself uses, but he taught me how to throw it. When I had a specialist analyze the numbers, they told me, ‘You can actually use this in games.’ My fastball velocity has also increased, so I think the difference in speed and the drop on the changeup will make it even more effective.

“Taira also advised me that the ideal sequence is for the pelvis to rotate first, followed by the torso. When I watched video, it seemed that I had already been doing that since last year, but there’s a difference in repeatability between doing something without knowing why and continuing to do it with a clear understanding of the mechanics. Even though my velocity has risen dramatically, I haven’t lost the command that is one of my strengths, and I think that’s because my mechanics are working well.”

In February, Shinohara also received instruction from Yu Darvish (39) during the Samurai Japan training camp, where he participated as a support player.

“He taught me a two-seam fastball. The grip itself is pretty standard, but he told me, ‘Put the energy into your index finger when you release the ball,’ and I’ve become much more conscious of that. If I can master the kick change and two-seam in addition to the slider I’ve already been throwing, I think it could make starting games easier for me in the future.”

The promising young pitcher has caught the attention of two elite pitchers—and he’s still only 19. Once he steps off the mound, his youthful, almost boyish side comes through.

“I get really excited when ‘tsukemen’ is on the dorm menu. The quality is really good. In my free time, I play the baseball game “Pro Yakyu Spirits A” on my phone. I make a lineup using my Seibu teammates, and Taira is insanely strong (laughs). I want to perform well enough to appear in “Pro Yakyu Spirits A” as soon as possible. I want to become a strong character, so I’m hoping they’ll give me a high rating when they assess my abilities. (laughs).

“That’s why recently I’ve stopped eating snacks right before pitching. It’s kind of a superstition—to make sure I don’t go easy on myself. I’m making myself refrain from them as a way of maintaining professional discipline.”

Shinohara, a slender 178-cm pitcher who never experienced playing in the Koshien tournament, entered professional baseball as a lower-round draft pick and became a full-time reliever in his second season. By almost every measure, he seems worthy of the nickname the next Yoshinobu Yamamoto. But Shinohara himself remains level-headed.

“I’m grateful that people say that about me, but I don’t really think about it too much. For now, I believe my job is to produce results as a reliever and help the team win. Beyond that, I want to eventually become a pitcher capable of throwing deep into games. First, I want to win the ERA title. After that, I’ll think about it when the time comes (laughs).”

The day when this young Lion becomes a Samurai competing on the world stage may not be far away.

From the July 31, 2026 issue of “FRIDAY”