Seibu’s 100-mile man Kaiba Taira (21) was shortlisted for the Best Rookie of the Year award. This season, his third year as a professional, he pitched 54 relay games and posted a record of 1 win, 0 losses, 33 grabs and 1 save, with a preeminent sense of stability with a 1.87 defense rate. “Throwing another person” who was entrusted with the top set since mid-season and went undefeated.

On July 19, in the Rakuten match (Rakuten Seimei Park), he scored the sixth Japanese and his first 160 kg. The right arm push, whose annual salary went from 12 million yen to 42 million yen, an increase of 30 million yen, which is 3.5 times higher, has yet to stop.

◆ Taira Kaima Born in Ishigaki City, Okinawa Prefecture, on November 15, 1999 (Heisei 11). The Yaeyama Chamber of Commerce has been in the dock since the spring of the first year. Ace has not participated in Koshien since the fall of the second year. He joined Seibu in fourth place in the draft in 2017. He made his 1st Army debut on 19 of the second year, and earned his first professional win against Softbank on August 30 of the same year. 173 cm, 100 kilos Right-handed left-handers. The estimated annual salary this season is 12 million yen.

◆ Rookie King Qualification Within 5 years of first registration as a controlled player, total results through the prior year are 30 innings for pitchers and 60 or less for hitters. Chosen by vote of a professional baseball reporter. Taira in the third year had a total of 24 innings until last season. This is the ninth new king in the third year onwards.