Tetsuto Yamada, the captain of Yakult, who won the number one spot in Japan for the first time in 20 years in professional baseball, has renewed his contract for next season with an estimated annual salary of 500 million yen, which is the same as this season, plus a piecework payment.
29-year-old Yamada signed a seven-year contract with Yakult last year off, not exercising the rights of FA = free agent only in Japan.
From this season, he has been the captain of the team and has participated in 137 games with a batting average of 20%, 7 minutes, 2 home runs, 34 home runs, and a RBI of "101" in the Central League.
On the 8th, Yamada negotiated with the team at the baseball team office in Tokyo and renewed the contract for next season, which is the second year of the 7-year contract with the same estimated annual salary of 500 million yen as this season and plus piece payment.
Yamada said, "I was told that I would continue to ask for the captain. I was able to really look around and think about various things and I think I was able to play baseball," recalled the captain's first year season.
Yamada has achieved a triple three with a batting average of 30%, 30 home runs, and 30 stolen bases three times in the past, but this season only the number of home runs met the conditions, and only four stolen bases.
Yamada said, "It's not the number I expected. It was a result far from the triple three, so I want to stick to it. It's my annual goal."
He said, "I want to win again next year and become the best in Japan."