Winning the home run double crown and blocked RBI at the end of the season due to “physical fatigue”
Infielder Seibu Yamakawa Hodaka, who is expected to acquire the rights of the national FA by next season, faced contract renewal negotiations at the team’s office in Tokorozawa, Saitama, on the 2nd, and firmly rejected the four-year contract presented by the team. He signed a one-year contract with an annual salary of 270 million yen (estimated amount), an increase of 140 million yen. How will Japan’s best home runs face next season, which will attract attention in many ways?
Yamakawa won the double crown with 41 homers and 90 RBI this season. In 2018 and 2019, he had back-to-back home run kings with 40+ pitches, but in 2020, his batting average was . 205 and 24 home runs. In 2021, he was in the slump for the second straight year with a . 232 batting average and 24 home runs. It can be said that he has made a remarkable recovery.
365 with 8 home runs in March and April, and won the monthly MVP with a . 321 average and 9 home runs in May, 197 and 4 home runs in the latter September and October.
The team, which had fought fiercely for the lead with Orix and Softbank, seemed to be keeping up with the main guns and lost 8 wins and 13 losses (.381 hit rate) in September and October, and remained in 3rd place in the season. “My results have been commensurate with the team. I’m number 4 so I think all the responsibility is mine,” he bowed.
The reason for the slowdown at the end of the season is clear: “Physical fatigue. That’s all”. “When you’re tired, you can’t keep up with the ball (because you can’t keep your foot on the ground) and you can’t keep your distance. He revealed, “This year’s off-topic theme is training my body so I can play longer in March, April and May.”
