Tomoya Masaki, SoftBank: The “King” Behind This Season’s Breakout Performance Decides to Undergo Left Shoulder Surgery—“Words from Manager Kokubo”
Special Interview [Part 1]
His batted ball speed exceeds 188 km/h—faster than Shohei Ohtani’s!
A breakthrough season as the leadoff hitter with 28 home runs
His first-ever walk-off home run came in a dramatic moment. On October 27, during Game 3 of the Japan Series between the SoftBank Hawks and the DeNA BayStars, the Hawks’ Tomoya Masaki (26) launched the game-winning home run into the left-field stands in the bottom of the 10th inning—
This season, Masaki took the baseball world by storm. In his fifth pro season, he reached the required number of at-bats for the first time and made a huge leap forward, hitting 28 home runs as the leadoff hitter. His nickname among fans is “Masaking.” The sight of him launching one powerful home run after another is truly worthy of the title “King.”Masaki explains:
“Ever since my rookie year, my teammate at the time—Richard (now with the Giants), who was in the same class as me—used to call me that, but it never really caught on with the team or the fans (laughs). Our minor league manager back then was Yuki Kokubo, and I guess he must have remembered it, because this year I suddenly started being called ‘King,’ and that’s how it spread.”
Armed with his power-hitting ability, he turned pro from Keio University in ’22. From the start, he was expected to be a future core player and was even entrusted with the No. 5 spot in the lineup twice at the start of the season. However, until last season, he had never recorded double-digit home runs. Contrary to expectations, his professional career has been a series of hardships caused by injuries.
During spring training right after joining the team, he injured the ligament in his right elbow. Then, in a game against the Seibu Lions last April, he suffered a severe injury—a partial dislocation of his left shoulder—while swinging and missing.
“It was by far the worst. That dislocation was by far the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced in my life. It hurt like crazy.”
He has always had loose joints and has previously suffered a tear in the labrum of his right shoulder.The day before the dislocation, he had dived for a ball hit in front of left field, stretching his left arm out as far as he could and planting his hand firmly on the ground. While it’s unclear if that was the direct cause, he believes it may have played a role. However, about a minute later, he says his left shoulder “popped back into place on its own.”
“From that point on, it didn’t hurt at all. So I thought, ‘Even if I can’t play tomorrow, maybe I’ll be able to get back out there the day after tomorrow or so.’”
However, it wasn’t until he received a diagnosis at the hospital that he fully realized the severity of the situation. Surgery would mean a full recovery in 5 to 6 months—meaning his season would be over. However, he was told that with conservative treatment, there was a possibility he could return in 2 to 3 months. The doctor recommended surgery, but Masaki couldn’t bring himself to go through with it.
“As a player, it’s only natural to want to get back on the field as soon as possible. At first, I didn’t intend to have surgery. But a few days later, the team manager stopped me and said, ‘Manager Kokubo is on the phone.’
I had just finished rehab at the team’s facility in Chikugo (Fukuoka Prefecture) and was driving on the highway when, as the appointed time approached, I pulled into a service area parking lot to wait for the call. In a gentle voice, the manager said, ‘For the sake of your baseball career, you absolutely should have the surgery.’
I trust Manager Kokubo. I knew those words came from his concern for me. I decided to have the surgery right then and there. But the realization that I’d miss the rest of the season was still a shock, and on the drive home, I fought back tears as I drove… When I got home, I cried.”
From the November 13 & 20, 2026, combined issue of *FRIDAY*
Reporting and Text： Kotaro Tajiri (Sports Writer) PHOTO： Ryoji Hanamasa