Winning the double crown of home runs and RBI stalled at the end of the season due to “physical fatigue”
Seibu Yamakawa Hodaka infielder, who is expected to acquire domestic FA rights within the next season, went to the team office in Tokorozawa, Saitama on the 2nd to negotiate a renewal of the contract, and firmly declined the four-year contract presented by the team. He signed a one-year contract with an annual salary of 270 million yen (amount is estimated), an increase of 140 million yen. How will Japan’s leading home run hitters face the next season, which will be attracting attention in many ways?
Yamakawa won the double crown with 41 homers and 90 RBIs this season. In 2018 and 2019, he won consecutive home run kings with more than 40 shots, but in 2020 he has a batting average of .205 and 24 home runs. 232 batting average with 24 home runs in 2021 for the second year in a row. It can be said that he has made a remarkable recovery.
365 monthly batting average and 8 home runs in March and April, and won the monthly MVP in May with a .321 batting average and 9 home runs. 197 batting average and 4 homers in the last September and October.
The team, which had been fiercely battling for the lead with Orix and Softbank, seemed to be keeping pace with the main guns, and lost 8 wins and 13 losses (winning rate of .381) in September and October, and remained in 3rd place in the season. “My results were proportional to the team. I’m number 4, so I think all the responsibility is on me,” he bowed.
The reason for the slowdown at the end of the season is clear, “Physical fatigue. That’s all.” “When you get tired, you can’t keep up with the ball (because you can’t keep your foot on the ground), and you can’t keep a distance. He revealed, “This year’s off theme is to train my body so that I can play longer in March, April, and May.”