Tatsuru Yanagimachi: Leading the Team to a Japan Series Victory with the League's Highest On-Base Percentage and Best Nine Selection

Thank you very much.

The biggest factor was April 23rd, the day of my first start of the season. Until then, although I was in good form during pinch-hitting appearances, I wasn't quite getting the results.

I was put into the starting lineup just when I felt a hit would get me on track, and I managed to hit a home run off Ryuhei Soya of the Orix Buffaloes, a pitcher who is strong against left-handed hitters. That specific at-bat felt like the turning point for me.

I finished that day with three hits, including the home run, and was chosen as the hero of the game. I felt a sense of relief that I finally got a hit, and confidence that I could handle a pitcher like Soya. When I pulled an inside high fastball into the stands, I felt, "This might be my year."

Since it's a club with intense competition for regular spots, I didn't get too pessimistic. I just looked forward, thinking I just had to work my way up again this year. More than that, it was important not to neglect preparation so I could respond when an opportunity arose.

In Interleague play, you face pitchers you don't usually see, so I focused on seeing the ball clearly. To check the trajectory first, I made a point of intentionally taking the first pitch in every encounter, and I think that led to good results.

That's right. During the Interleague period when I started every game, I was in great condition and had the composure to feel that even if I took one strike, I'd be fine. I focused on identifying the trajectory in the first at-bat and then making solid contact in the second and third at-bats.

Actually, I think I strike out a lot now, but that's also a result of going into the batter's box with a decisive mindset. If a pitcher hits a good spot, I just accept that the pitcher won. In exchange, I make sure I never miss a mistake pitch.

Recently, against fastballs, I've been valuing the sensation of starting my swing earlier and swinging slowly. Instead of tensing up to swing fast, I decided to have an image of "swinging loosely" while timing it early. As a result, I've been able to catch the ball well.

It's a very subtle adjustment, but I think grasping this sensation was a big reason why I was able to produce results in the second half of the season as well.

For home games, I try to take a 15-minute nap before the game. Night games mean arriving at the stadium around 11:00 AM and leaving around 11:00 PM, which is very long. Within that cycle, taking a nap has allowed me to maintain my concentration during the game.

Exactly. During the season before last when I had many pinch-hitting appearances, the rhythm was irregular, and it put quite a strain on my body.

Good players don't dwell on results. I'm also always thinking about what I should do to greet the next day with energy.

Actually, in the second half after the Interleague games, I went about 30 at-bats without a hit. At that time, I lost my composure because I was impatient to get results, and I was left out of the starting lineup for one game. When I'm focused, there are no distractions or anxieties, and I think I stand in the box with a sharp look in my eyes.

It's baseball that enhances individual power as a professional to create team harmony. Compared to Manager Kimiyasu Kudo in my first and second years, and Manager Hiroshi Fujimoto in my third and fourth years, Manager Kokubo has the shortest team practice time, but individual time is emphasized more. Regardless of their days of first-team experience, all players are told to think about their own best performance rather than the team's victory, and we use individual practice time to polish our weaknesses.

When he said that, I was still in a position of aiming for a regular spot, so this past year I've just focused on what I can do with the mindset that I just have to go for it.

Mr. Kondo is the loudest at the front during games, and Mr. Yamakawa starts his preparations for the day earlier than anyone else. Mr. Yanagita energizes the team just by being there. For all three, leadership naturally overflows from their actions to achieve maximum performance.

I also want to focus on what I need to do first and become a player who energizes those around me through spirited play.

Shortly after I joined, Manager Kudo told me, "Think about what you will sell in the professional world, what your strength is." Those words still resonate within me today.

I think it's my concentration and clutch hitting in critical moments. The ability not to be dragged down by bad results is a strength I've acquired during my professional life.

In high school, I was bad at switching mindsets; I had a personality where I thought, "If I fail, it's over." I finally started being conscious of switching in university, and it was only after becoming a pro that I could truly move on by thinking, "If I fail, there's a next time."

In middle school, I was with the Toride Senior team in Ibaraki, and a scout suggested I take the entrance exam, which was the catalyst for considering Keio Senior High School. I was attracted to the emphasis on academics, but more than anything, I wanted to beat Yokohama High School and Tokai University Sagami in Kanagawa, where many powerhouse schools gather.

Until middle school, I had played baseball in an environment like the military, so at first, I wondered, "What is Enjoy Baseball?" Our third year was also Manager Ueda's final year, and over those three years, I was taught the flexible idea that "baseball is not something you are forced to do, but something you do voluntarily by thinking for yourself."

I'm also glad I chose Keio Senior High School. After becoming a pro and being in a position where I have to think and execute everything myself, I've come to strongly realize the concept of "Enjoy Baseball"—thinking and acting for oneself.

If I could redo my baseball life, I'd want to go back to high school. At the time, I still mistakenly thought "Enjoy Baseball" meant "practicing while having fun," and there were parts where I was slacking off.

Conversely, because I have those regrets, I think I was able to endure the rigorous practice in university and the pros to win games and have good experiences.

Thank you for those four years.

I only had one instance in my freshman year where I jammed my finger during bunt practice, but that was it.

I won three times at Jingu—Autumn 2017, Spring 2018, and Autumn 2019—but the most fulfilling moment was the at-bat where I reached 100 career hits in university. It was the Waseda-Keio rivalry game in the Tokyo Big6 Baseball 2019 Spring League during my senior year, and the opposing pitcher was Takahisa Hayakawa (now with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles).

I went into the tournament needing 15 more hits for 100, and Manager Okubo encouraged me, saying, "Let's go with the momentum to achieve it during this league play," so I was very relieved when I successfully reached it.

It was during my junior year. I was able to hit .300 as a freshman, but by the end of my junior year, I slumped to .250. I roused myself, thinking, "If I stay like this, it's over," and bounced back in the spring league of my senior year.

More than anything, it was being able to learn the true nature of "Enjoy Baseball." I think I was taught the joy of winning.

What Manager Okubo often told me back then was to "think about the team's victory rather than your own stats." He said that mainstay players shouldn't let their individual stats dictate their mood, and to work hard for the team to win regardless of their own performance. Because I received those words, I became able to calmly think about what I could do toward winning.

Because I'm from Keio, people initially had an image that I didn't practice much when I first joined. Now, myself and my juniors Tomoya Masaki and Ryuta Hirose are working so hard at practice that we're called the "Keio Three Brothers" of the Hawks.

That's right. Besides Mr. Gunji, Shota Ueda (Chiba Lotte Marines) and Taisei Tsurusaki (Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles) are still playing, and Kento Nakamura, who played for Hiroshima (retired in 2025), was also a classmate.

I thought "it might happen" when I was selected for the Best Nine in the spring of my senior year, and then became the batting champion in a game against the US national team while representing Japan.

It was significant that Manager Okubo sent me off saying, "If you can handle the fastballs of US pitchers, you'll be evaluated as someone who can make it in the pros." Being able to produce results there led to confidence.

Exactly. Even on days when I'm not in good form, my child treats me with the same energy, saying, "Daddy, let's play." It helps me switch my mindset back to wanting to work hard for my family.

This year, I'm aiming for a .300 batting average and double-digit home runs. To that end, I want to continue the weight training I've been doing since last year and put the most effort into physical strengthening.

I was selected for the Best Nine last season, but as you said, the fierce competition for a regular spot continues. It's said that if you can maintain a regular spot for three years, you'll have a place to return to even if you have to leave temporarily, so my goal is to first protect my regular spot for three years.

The spirit of "Enjoy Baseball"—thinking and executing for oneself—is an important concept that is useful in the professional world and in society. I hope students will practice it while they are still in school.

Also, everyone's support is a great encouragement, so I would be happy if you could support me with kind and warm eyes. I want to continue my active career for even longer and perform in a way that gives courage to everyone.