Yamamoto Yudai, who transferred to SoftBank in a trade with DeNA, held his introductory press conference on the 13th at Mizuho PayPay Dome.
The 27-year-old catcher arrived in Fukuoka the previous night and immediately studied video footage of three Pacific League games, including SoftBank versus Seibu. “I thought to myself that I’m quick to adapt, but I felt it was important to become a Pacific League player as soon as possible and get used to the environment,” he said.
During the press conference, Yamamoto expressed his enthusiasm: “The Hawks have always been a winning team, with highly skilled players. I think being a regular on a team like this is what it takes to become a representative player for Japan. I’m excited to test my abilities.” While acknowledging the difficulty of switching teams during the season as a catcher, he added, “They don’t have data on me, so I think I can use a variety of pitch sequences. I’ve only ever played baseball for the BayStars, so it’s unknown how far I can go with the Hawks. But as a catcher, I’m expected to contribute to wins. I’ll do my best to help the team get even one more victory.”
After the press conference, Yamamoto was set to join the first team and participate in pre-game practice for the game against Seibu.