[NPB NOTEBOOK] Nipponham Fighters Hoping to Reach the Summit in New Season

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There are high hopes for Tsuyoshi Shinjo's Hokkaido Nipponham Fighters this season.

In their third season under the charismatic manager and former player, the Fighters finished second in the Pacific League standings in 2024 with a 75-60-8 record.

That still left them 13½ games behind the high-flying PL champion Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, who had the best record in Japanese baseball, but it was an impressive showing for Shinjo's team.

The Fighters beat the Chiba Lotte Marines two games to one in the first stage of the PL Climax Series before being swept in three games by the Hawks in the second stage.

With some valuable playoff experience under their belt, the hope is that the Fighters are ready to contend for the Japan Series in 2025.

When Shinjo took over as manager in 2022, it was widely accepted there would be growing pains as the 53-year-old former outfielder found his footing as a bench boss.

Indeed, the team struggled with back-to-back last-place finishes in 2022 and 2023.

But 2024 was a breakout season as the team showed it had matured and was ready to contend with the top teams.

*Nipponham Fighters manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo speaks to pitcher Kota Yazawa during a spring training workout on February 2 in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture. (©SANKEI)*

Shinjo spoke about the upcoming season in a recent interview with NHK.

"I didn't think I would have a fourth year as manager," Shinjo said. "I thought it would end in three years."

Added the former outfielder "I've been thinking about what kind of baseball I want to play this season and I'm looking forward to it because our lineup is so strong."

Nipponham Fighters Getting Ready for Preseason Opener

The Fighters' preseason schedule opens on Saturday, February 22 with a game against the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.

So far, in practice games ahead of preseason contests, Shinjo has been using a batting order that features Kotaro Kiyomiya, Yuki Nomura and Chusei Mannami in the 3-4-5 positions.

There is a good chance Dominican slugger Franmil Reyes will also be in the heart of the order after connecting for 25 homers last season, his first in Japan.

Kiyomiya Looking for More Productivity

It will be interesting to see how Kiyomiya performs in 2025.

Kiyomiya was chosen by seven teams in the first round of the 2017 NPB draft and signed with the Fighters, who won the right to negotiate with him after winning the lottery.

Kiyomiya struggled to adjust to the pro level in his first three seasons with Nipponham, hitting .200, .204 and .190, respectively, as he bounced between the minors and the top team.

Things got better in 2022 and 2023 when he started to live up to his potential by raising his batting average slightly and hitting 25 homers in '22 and 20 the following season.

Kiyomiya had his best season last year when he finished with a .300 batting average, 15 homers, 51 RBIs and a career-high .374 on-base percentage in 89 games. Simply put, he became a more consistent hitter.

With a productive campaign under his belt, Kiyomiya will be looking for bigger and better things in 2025, especially if he can hold on to a coveted spot in the batting order.

Ito, Yamasaki Lead Nipponham's Pitching Staff

On the pitching front, the Nipponham Fighters will have veterans Hiromi Ito (10-9, 2.90, 141 strikeouts) and Sachiya Yamasaki (10-6, 3.17, 74 Ks) to lead a strong starting rotation.

But the Fighters won't have the services of right-hander Naoyuki Uwasawa.

Uwasawa spent nine seasons with Nipponham. In 2023, he was a solid 9-9 with a 2.69 ERA and 124 strikeouts.

But after qualifying for international free agency, Uwasawa played for the Boston Red Sox appearing in only two games for the American League team.

Unable to catch on in MLB, Uwasawa returned to NPB for this season and signed with the rival Hawks.

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