Last season’s DeNA1 No. 2 batter had the worst batting average and on-base percentage in the league.
DeNA placed third last year with 74 wins, 66 losses, and 3 draws. Although they secured Class A for the second year in a row, they were 12 games behind the winner, Hanshin. Looking at batting records, there is data that shows a big difference between the two teams. According to baseball commentator Ryota Igarashi, who has pitched in a total of 906 games over 23 years in Japan and the US, outfielder Takaki Watarai, the first draft pick in the draft, could fill the gap.
Last year, DeNA’s team batting average was .247, second in the league. However, looking at the performance of the first and second batters, the first batter’s batting average of .221 and on-base percentage of .287, and the second batter’s batting average of .216 and on-base percentage of .268 are both among the lowest in the league.
Outfielder Keita Sano has the most starts in the starting lineup with 66 games, followed by outfielder Taiki Sekine with 30 games, outfielder Masashi Kuwahara with 16 games, and outfielder Yasushi Ota with 13 games. The second starting lineup is Sekine with 53 games, Kuwabara with 34 games, and Yota Kyoda with 20 games. The current situation was that it could not be fixed.
On the other hand, Hanshin’s batting average of .277 and on-base percentage of .371 are both tops in the league. His batting average of .284 and on-base percentage of .350 both ranked second. Here, the number 1 is outfielder Koji Chikamoto, and the number 2 is almost fixed with infielder Takumu Nakano. There was a big difference. “If the batting average and on-base percentage of No. 1 and No. 2 are high, the center fielders will have more opportunities to step up to bat, which will give the offense more movement. It will also put pressure on the pitcher,” Igarashi says.
Dora 1 Rookie Degree Association is “material that I want to grow while using in actual battles”
Igarashi’s candidate is notable rookie Watarai. He inspected spring training in Ginowan, Okinawa, and commented, “His appeal is that he has long-hitting power, such as being able to go over the fence even in headwinds with free batting.”
“He still has some rough edges, and the challenge is whether he can be able to hit more softly,” he said, praising him as having room for improvement in all aspects. According to Takuro Ishii, chief batting, base running and first base coach, the plan is to let the players play freely without making any changes to their issues during the camp period. He also has the ability to run, and he has high hopes for him, saying, “I want him to develop as he uses him in actual matches.”
Outfielder Tyler Austin is expected to play first base this season. In the outfield, it looks like Sano will be on the left wing, Kuwabara or Sekine will be in the center field, and Watarai and others will compete for the right field, but “If Watarai starts batting first and second, DeNA’s attack itself will not change. I guess?” I guess. It will be interesting to see if the 21-year-old brings changes to the team.
(Full-Count Editorial Department)
2024-02-12 22:30:00
#21yearold #solve #DeNAs #biggest #weak #point #praised #experts…If #established #attack #change #FullCount
