The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters would like to announce that seven players renewed their contracts today, December 4th (Wednesday).

Contract renewal

Yuya Tamiya, Yuya Gunji, Tsubasa Ikutame, Takuya Nakajima, Torai Fushimi, Yuki Nomura, Hiroshi Ito

Player comments

Tamiya

"They told me, 'We hope you'll perform well again next year.' This year I achieved a career high in batting, so my goal for next year is to put up even better numbers. I want to hone my skills to the level of Kensuke Kondo (Hawks). My top priority is to contribute to the team's championship, but personally, I want to achieve a batting average of over .300 and a stolen base prevention rate of over 40%. Also, I want to be able to steal double-digit bases again next year."

Gunji

"It was my first time playing in the first team for a full year, and I felt a great sense of accomplishment. The team told me that I made a big contribution in terms of hitting, and they appreciated the intangible aspects of my game. Next season, I want to become a more impressive player in terms of hitting. In terms of defense, I want to increase the proportion of time I play as catcher. This year ended with a disappointing feeling, so I want to channel that frustration into next year."

Ikutame pitcher

"For the past five years, I haven't been doing any work and have been a nuisance, so I'm really happy to finally be in my first year as a professional baseball player. They say that it takes three years to be a good relief pitcher, so I want to do even better next year than I did this year. Ultimately, the ones who get the attention are the winning pitchers. I think my current job suits me, but to aim higher, I need to break into that role. I ran out of steam in the second half of the season, so I want to use the offseason to build up my stamina so I can play for a full year."

Nakajima

"It was a good start to the season, being able to play in the first team, but I wanted to play in more games, and I was frustrated that I was in the farm team during the Climax Series race in August and September. It's difficult to consistently perform the basics well, and I felt that the team that can do that is the strong team. My goal for next year is to play in the first team for the entire year. I want to further improve my skills and become the kind of player that the team will want to use again, even if I come in as a substitute."

Fushimi

"I always want to play in as many games as possible, but this season I didn't get to play much, which was frustrating. Next year, my goal is to play in every game, and I'd like to aim for the starting catcher position in the opening game, which I've never done before. And I want to help the team win the championship so that when the season ends I can look back and say, 'That was great.'"

Nomura

"This season was very tough because I spent a long time in the minor leagues and there were so many things I need to reflect on. I feel that I need to improve in all aspects, mind, technique, and physical condition, so I will practice hard for next season. I was honestly very surprised to be named the cleanup hitter for the opening game at F FES. Normally, you don't get this much of an opportunity, so I will spend the offseason with a sense of responsibility."

Pitcher Ito

"The team has properly evaluated me and expressed their respect, so I think I can approach next season with a positive attitude. The best thing about this year was being able to pitch for the entire year without injury. My pitching speed and condition stabilized in the latter half of the season, and I was able to approach games without anxiety, which I think led to the results. I've been selected as the starting pitcher for the home opener next season, and since it will be my first time pitching in a home opener, I'm looking forward to it and enjoying it."