Orix player Ryoma Nishikawa exercised his free agent rights and transferred. He aims not only to further refine his bat control, which is said to be a genius, but also to add strength to it.
Last season, Nishikawa had a batting average of.350, second place in the Central League. On the pitching staff, last season's Rookie of the Year, pitcher Shunpei Yamashita, entered the bullpen for the first time this year. He threw 25 pitches with the catcher standing, carefully checking the direction of the catcher's fingers.