Tomoki Murakami won the Central League's MVP = Most Valuable Player last season. He won 10 games after his first win last season, won the title of best ERA with a 1.75 ERA.

He became the first player in Central League history to be named MVP and Rookie of the Year at the same time. This season, he is aiming to improve the quality of his fastballs and increase his average ball speed in order to make further progress. He vows to become the second player in team history to win the title for two consecutive years.