On September 1st, Ginji and Kaneko Yuji appeared on the official Pacific League TV YouTube channel’s “Mondays at Patele” segment and predicted Pacific League Rookie of the Year for this season.

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“Monday Pate-TV” was started with the desire to create a time for professional baseball and Pacific League fans to enjoy even on Mondays, when there are few games. This week, Ginji and Yuji Kaneko made their big predictions about the outcome of Pacific League title race based on the current results.

Among the predictions for various titles, such as batting hitter and most wins, the one that generated the most excitement was the “Best Rookie.” Each team introduced a player who is currently making an impact and is eligible for the award, along with a video, and at the end, each team predicted which player they would acquire.

First up is Hokkaido Nippon-Ham pitcher Kota Tatsu. He has a solid record of 6 wins and 1 loss in 12 games so far this season, with ERA of 2.12 (as of the game on the 2nd), and has set a new NPB record of 7 consecutive wins as a pitcher since his debut. Kaneko commented on his impression of Tatsu, saying, “He’s just so big. He’s really tall,” while Ginji noted his number of wins, saying, “6 wins and 1 loss is incredible, isn’t it? It’s quite rare!”

Next, Ginji commented on Tohoku Rakuten ‘s Rui Muneyama, “I think he knows himself well.” He analyzed, “Even when he’s tired, he trains hard, and I think he’s grown mentally now,” and revealed a side of Muneta that only an ambassador can know, saying, “He’s smiling a little more.”

Furthermore, Chiba Lotte spoke of his expectations for next season, saying, “Obviously, I think he’ll hit better next year,” and added, “I hope he doesn’t change his batting style. He has a really good Misho Nishikawa style, especially with his timing.” Meanwhile, Kaneko praised Chiba Lotte ‘s Ryusei Terachi, saying, “Isn’t his bat control amazing?”

With Saitama Seibu Seiya Watanabe being picked up, Kaneko commented, “Seiya Watanabe is doing his best, but Patele is the only one they’ve forgotten… I think Haruto Yamada will be coming!”, expressing his hopes for the third-year right-hander, who has appeared in 39 games as a relief reliever and has ERA of 1.36 (as of the game on the 2nd).

Ginji also praised Orix ‘s Yusuke Mugitani, saying, “He has great physical abilities! He’s fast.” Kaneko, whose strengths were his feet during his playing days, also expressed his sympathy, saying, “He really does have great physical abilities.” And the player picked by Fukuoka Softbank was pitcher Haru Matsumoto. While watching a video of his game, Kaneko lamented, “He looks really hard to hit…” to which Ginji replied with a smile, “breaking ball do curve. A young pitcher has emerged.”

After watching the videos of each player, Ginji ultimately chose Hokkaido Nippon-Ham-Ham pitcher Tatsuta Kota, saying, “I think they can still win!”, while Kaneko Yuji named Haruto Yamada Seiya Watanabe pitcher player Watanabe Seibu or Kota Tatsu, saying, “They’re aiming for a final comeback!”

Who will be crowned the best rookie? As the season draws to a close, keep an eye on the performances of the young players who are eligible for the award.

LIVE broadcast program “Monday is also Pate-tele”
・Streaming date: Every Monday from 9 PM (scheduled to be available until October during the season)
・Streaming destination: Pacific League TV official YouTube channel
・Cast: A pair of former professional baseball players appear on a weekly basis
(Ginji and Yuji Kaneko / GG Sato and guests / Ryota Igarashi and T-Okada / Motonobu Tanishige and Tomoya Satozaki)

Next week on the 8th (Monday), GG Sato and Nomi Atsushi will be appearing. Don’t miss it!