Nippon-Ham ‘s Chusei Mannami hits a league-leading 5 home runs; the reason for his excellent form is “physical improvement” and “reflection sessions.”
Sports Hochi
April 6, 2026 06:05
◆ Pacific League Nippon-Ham 8-2 Orix Buffaloes (May 5th, Escon Field)
Even when off-balance, Nippon-Ham outfielder Chusei Mannami (25) hit the ball with incredible power. In the bottom of the 7th inning with two outs and runners on first and second, he launched Perdomo’s slider into the left field bullpen for a game-winning 3-run homer, his 5th of the season. “I never thought it would go in. I felt like I was able to use the bat head effectively and swing well.” This priceless hit allowed the team to record Home Run in nine consecutive games from the start of the season, tying the club record set in 2003. In the 8th inning, Tamiya hit his first solo home run, tying the NPB record of 22 home runs in the first nine games of the season, set by the 1985 Hanshin Tigers, which featured players like Bass, Kakefu, and Okada.
Leading this historic, super-heavyweight lineup is Manami, who has hit a league-leading five home runs. This offseason, he focused on “strength,” emphasizing fundamental weight training. He increased his muscle mass, and his weight reached a personal best of 105 kilograms. “I’ve definitely improved physically,” he said, savoring the results of his training with a home run while swimming.
He has made it a habit to hold daily “reflection meetings” with Yokoo, the first-team hitting coach who took over this season. “The three of us come up with various hypotheses,” he says, and after games, he and an analyst review his at-bats and exchange opinions while comparing them with data on hitter from other teams. When he was sent back to the second team in early March after not getting results, they used Zoom (a video conferencing app) to talk about baseball for so long that they exceeded the app’s 40-minute time limit. “I understand it well both logically and intuitively, so I’m able to maintain a good feeling.” This has been the foundation of his consistency this season, as he has gotten hit in 8 out of 9 games.
The team has won four straight games, putting them one win above .500 for the first time this season. Manager Shinjo was delighted, comparing his team’s lineup to the Dominican Republic’s team in the World Baseball Classic, which boasts some of the best sluggers in MLB. He brought up The Giants’ record of 33 consecutive games Home Run in 2004, saying, “There are still more than 20 games left (laughs). That’s enough about that topic. We can move on to something more timely.” With the momentum of their powerful batting lineup, they will chase after their biggest rival for the league title in 10 years, the league-leading Softbank Hawks. (Haruki Kawakami)
◆The Dominican Republic team in the 2014 WBC boasted a super-heavyweight lineup featuring some of the best sluggers in Major League Baseball, including Soto (Mets), who hit 43 Home Run in 2013, Guerrero (Blue Jays), who hit 48 Home Run in 2019, and Machado (Padres), who has 369 Home Run home runs in the majors. They set a new tournament record with 15 Home Run.