Takahisa Hayakawa, the pitcher who achieved the team's first 10 wins as a southpaw and ultimately finished the season with 11 wins, has become the new ace of the starting pitchers in his fourth professional year."I want to become a pitcher who can lead the team," he said, his words full of confidence.Upon listening to them, it turns out that they often draw inspiration from soccer games, surprisingly.Greed!

Achieving the team’s first great feat!

After joining as the first round draft pick in 2020 and achieving nine victories in the first year, he continued to build his career with the Rakuten Eagles.During the off-season last year, the pitcher Takahiro Norimoto, who had until then been leading the team as a starter, was repositioned as a reliever, leading to his promotion as a key part of the starting rotation.The pressure must have been immense, never lessening.The reason we could continue to win was because we have been committed to carrying the team since our rookie year in 2021.

“Since there is only one mound, everyone who stands there must pitch with the feeling that they are the ace.”

While following in the footsteps of senior pitchers like Takahiro Norimoto and Takayuki Kishi, I always felt like an ace whenever I stood on the mound.Perhaps it is the heightened awareness that leads to a sense of stability in pitching and a sense of security on the mound.Pitcher Hayakawa concluded the 2024 season with a personal best of 11 wins.

Growing by Learning from Other Competitions

Pitcher Hayakawa, who has a strong sense of responsibility and awareness, always thinks about what he can do with ambition.After turning professional, he focused on strength building, mindful meal planning, body care, and such, which laid the foundation for his career as a professional baseball player.Furthermore, it is said that new insights were gained this year.

“The biggest thing in the past four years has been being able to objectively view my own pitching,”

Pitcher Hayakawa has become able to calmly observe his own pitching and the atmosphere of the stadium from the mound.That is spoken of as a significant factor in achieving 10 wins.It seems that there was often a lot to absorb from other competitions there.

“Since the beginning of this year, I’ve started watching a lot of J.LEAGUE.I saw a lot of matches of Vissel Kobe, which won the championship last year under the same Rakuten Group. I particularly paid attention to the movements of the midfield players.In order to make accurate passes, one should be overlooking the positions of both enemies and allies. I also felt that the forwards are considering how they should move for the goal by looking at the overall situation.”

Saying that I actually went to the stadium, I learned much more than just the fun of cheering.The broad perspective of learning from all angles without being tied to competition, along with an insatiable desire for improvement, will likely continue to guide pitcher Hayakawa to even greater heights in the future.

Aiming for Greater Heights as The Pillar of The Team

Although they carry great expectations as the ace, it seems they are not actually particular about that title.

“I believe that the person who is pitching is the ace, so I want to continue without being obsessed with the term ace. If each of us can hold that awareness, I think the team will also improve, so I hope to become one of them.”

Each pitcher is required to throw with self-awareness, and I believe that this is necessary for the team to become strong.That’s why he continued, “I want to become a pitcher who can lead the team.”More than being an ace who can make the team win, he expresses his desire to support as a mainstay.Of course, one’s own growth is absolutely essential for that.Even after overcoming the two-digit barrier, he remained calm.

“10 wins is a milestone”

I can’t be satisfied here.The southpaw of the Rakuten Eagles has achieved a first feat, but it’s just a milestone if we think about his future of long-term success in the world of professional baseball.Every year, the young ace shows his growth.The day might not be too far when the Rakuten Eagles, and indeed Japan, will rise to represent the pitchers.

TEXT: Chiharu Abe
EDIT: Yohsuke Watanabe, Shiori Saeki (IN FOCUS)