The Place Where It All Began

Making a living by doing what you love.

Watching professional baseball players as a child, that’s what I thought about.

Playing baseball, being cheered on by so many people, and making a life out of my passion.

Doesn't that sound like the ultimate happiness?

One day, I wanted to go to that world too.

That feeling was the beginning of my baseball life.

Meeting Baseball

I started playing baseball in my third year of elementary school.

I’d loved soccer since kindergarten, but there wasn't a club nearby. That was when a classmate invited me to join baseball.

Of course, I barely knew the rules of the game.

I was decent at sports, but catching, throwing, and hitting weren't easy at first.

Even so, it was fun to be able to do things I couldn't do before.

I joined the Mizuho Eagles, and at first, I didn't even have a position. My teammates helped me out until I could catch the ball.

One day, when I finally managed to catch a ball, the coach said to me,

"You're playing center field."

That was when my baseball journey started.

By the fifth grade, I was playing shortstop, and by fifth and sixth grade, I was completely obsessed with baseball.

I’d had the dream of becoming a pro player since then.

But even looking back now, it’s strange how much confidence I had.

There was no basis for it.

But I just knew that one day, I would be a pro baseball player.

That’s what I believed.

Middle School Struggles

In middle school, I joined the Higashiyama Club.

It was a strong team that made it to national tournaments. While there were only about nine players in my grade in elementary school, there were over forty in middle school. The environment changed completely.

Naturally, it wasn't easy to make the starting lineup.

While my classmates were playing as starters, I struggled to find my turn.

Some players were called up for games as early as their first year, but I wasn't.

Even as a third-year student, there were times I didn't even make the bench.

I watched my teammates play from the stands. There were days when I was so frustrated I couldn't even bring myself to go to the games.

Even so, I never came to hate baseball.

I still loved practicing and playing with my teammates.

I want to be a pro baseball player.

That was the one dream that never changed.

Days at Homare High School

When I was considering which high school to attend, Homare High was the first one to reach out to me.

After doing some research, I found out they had made it to Koshien.

Above all, I was struck by the passion of the coach who called me.

"This might be the place."

With that thought, I decided to go to Homare High.

After enrolling, the days that awaited me were tougher than I had imagined.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were times when we couldn't practice as we wanted.

I spent more time with my teammates in the dorms, and when practice finally resumed, they became strict about our attitude toward baseball and our daily lives.

The amount of practice increased, and every day was about managing our weight and strength training.

Since entering, my perspective on baseball and my way of life changed significantly.

One day, lying alone in my dorm bed, I couldn't stop crying.

Maybe I can't do this anymore.

That’s how painful it was.

But when I thought about the coach, the staff who led me here, and the people supporting me, I couldn't just quit easily.

Weight training, in particular, was truly grueling.

Doing squats was so painful it brought tears to my eyes,

"I can't do any more."

I said that, but I managed to finish the last few reps anyway.

I think that was the first and last time I cried during training.

Both my body and mind were being forged little by little.

And before I knew it, results in baseball started to follow.

Challenging Myself as a Pitcher

In the autumn of my first year of high school, I started practicing as a pitcher.

I’d admired being a pitcher since I was small.

I loved throwing, and I wanted to compete with my own pitches.

Within six months of starting practice, my speed reached 140 km/h.

The first time I pitched in a game, I couldn't throw a strike.

Even so, throwing was fun.

But, I also started to feel pain in my elbow and shoulder.

That was when a coach from my high school, Mr. An, said to me:

"If you want to make it to pro baseball, you definitely shouldn't be a pitcher."

Honestly, I was shocked.

But looking back, perhaps those words were the catalyst for me to think about the path I should take.

Should I keep chasing the possibility as a pitcher? Or was there another place where I could truly aim for the pros?

In the spring of my second year of high school, I decided to go back to being a position player.

Once More as a Shortstop

Around June of my second year of high school.

The third-year student who was playing shortstop couldn't play in the game, and the coach told me, "Try playing shortstop."

From there, my baseball life started moving again.

The summer tournament lasted only two games.

But in those limited games, I was able to deliver results in almost every at-bat.

I could feel it working.

The opposing team had a player who was being scouted by pro teams.

The scouts who had come to see that player also noticed my play.

From then on, scouts started coming to the Homare High grounds a little more often.

My arm strength, my speed, my batting.

I started to get recognized for what I could do, bit by bit.

After winter training, my body grew even more.

At the start of the new year, scouts from multiple pro teams began coming to watch us practice.

During that time, Mr. An said to me:

"The opponent you are fighting isn't the scouts, it's the other team."

Just because the scouts are watching, it doesn't mean you need to do anything special.

Just beat the opponent in front of you.

Keeping those words in my heart, I faced baseball just like I always did.

And then, I hit a home run.

The Final Summer

Third year of high school.

The final summer tournament began.

The games Homare High played were limited to just two.

The first match was a nerve-wracking experience until the very end.

Amidst that, I hit a three-run home run late in the game.

That hit became the deciding factor, and the team made it through the first round.

In the second game, I was able to perform in a way that left an impact, too.

High school baseball was over in the blink of an eye.

I wanted to play more games.

I wanted to keep playing baseball with these teammates longer.

On the other hand, I could feel that everything I had worked for was finally starting to take shape.

And then, the day of the draft drew near.

First-Round Draft Pick

About 10 days before the draft meeting.

I was having a meal with my coach when his phone rang.

The person on the other end of the line was from the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.

After hanging up, the coach told me:

"You’ve been chosen for the first-round selection."

For a moment, I didn't understand what he’d said.

"Wait? First-round draft pick? That's crazy, that's crazy..."

At that moment, that was all I could say.

I called my family and friends immediately.

I was so happy, I couldn't believe it, and I kept repeating the same things over and over.

And then, about 30 minutes later.

My name was officially called at the draft meeting.

One step into the pros.

A place I had dreamed of since I was a child.

Making a living doing what you love.

The dream I pictured back then had become reality.

And just like that, I began my path into the world of professional baseball.

From here on, a new story begins.