◆ "It's difficult to decide who to put in that position."

Nippon-Ham handed Hiroshima their first win in the interleague series. Despite having runner in scoring position in almost every inning from the 3rd to the 8th, they managed only one run. Their inability to get that crucial hit proved costly, and the team's batting lineup was discussed on the CS Fuji TV ONE program "Pro baseball News" broadcast on the 3rd.

Takagi Yutaka pointed to the lack of scoring as "the way batting order is put together." He particularly emphasized the importance of hitter hits after the main slugger, Franmil Reyes, saying, "Ultimately, the problem is who bats behind Reyes." He also commented on the current batting order, saying, "Gunji's condition has been improving little by little, so we put him back in the cleanup spot, but it didn't work very well." He suggested that the placement of hitter to solidify the positions before and after Reyes will be a challenge going forward.

On the other hand, Tomotaka Sakaguchi acknowledged that "whoever bats behind Reyes will be under pressure," but added, "There are many players who are hitting well, so it's difficult to decide who to put there." He suggested that the coaching staff's decision-making is difficult because the overall batting lineup is not in bad shape.

In response, Takagi analyzed, "Everyone is doing moderately well, but there's no standout player." He pointed out that while there are hitter in good form, there is no decisive hitter who can put strong pressure on opposing pitcher behind Reyes, and this is the main issue.

☆ Cooperation: Fuji TV ONE "Professional baseball News 2026"