2025 NPB Draft: A summary of every Lions pick

 

The Saitama Seibu Lions and the other 11 NPB teams took their players at the draft on Thursday night.  

Here, we will summarize the information we can find on all draft picks by the Lions, Ikusei included. 

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Round 1: C Taiga Kojima 小島大河

College: Meiji (Tokyo)

High School: Tokaidai Sagami (Kanagawa) 

Date of Birth: October 27, 2003

Height: 178 cm (5' 10")

Weight: 83 kg (183 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Left

Kojima was a mainstay at Meiji and the Tokyo Big 6.  His pop speed as a catcher is 1.8 seconds throwing to second base, but his bat is why the Lions took him in the first round. On paper, it's thought he can hit for both average and power to improve a weakened offense. 

With the collegiate Samurai Japan team, he was primarily the designated hitter, which could be a role if the Lions want to play Yuto Koga at catcher.  

At one point in his career, he was an infielder at 2B and SS, but has been a catcher since his sophomore season. He bills primarily as a contact hitter.  

Kojima should be playing on Day 1 if his bat lives up to the hype.  Projected as a constant .300 hitter who can also hit for pop, he has a similar skill to Tomoya Mori, who was thought to not have a position. With no doubt, he was considered the best college catcher in this class and the Lions won his rights without opposition.

Team quote: "He is a good hitter with impressive bat control."

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Round 2: P Hakua Iwaki 岩城颯空

College: Chuo (Tokyo)

High School: Toyama Shogyo (Toyama)

Date of Birth: September 17, 2003

Height: 181 cm (5' 11")

Weight: 95 kg (209 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Left/Left

Iwaki is a LHP who can throw as fast as 152 km/H (94 mph). He's primarily known for his fastball, slider and cutter. Was mostly a reliever in college, he worked on becoming a starter in his senior year.  Iwaki's biggest strength is his control, having few walks. 

For 2026, he could enter the Lions bullpen, though it is fierce competition.  

Team Quote: "He is an attractive pitcher with a strong fastball to induce strikeouts. He'll be effective as both a starter and relieved."

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Round 3: OF Shun Akiyama 秋山俊

College: Chukyo (Aichi)

High School: Sendai Ikuei (Miyagi)

Date of Birth: April 20, 2003

Height: 180 cm (5' 11")

Weight: 88 kg (194 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Left

Akiyama could be a power hitter as he was the home run leader in the 2023 Spring season while an RBI leader for the 2024 Autumn season. In addition to outfield, he can also play 3B and has won a Best IX award while being an infielder.  Akiyama was also the leading hitter for the college Samurai Japan team during the US collegiate tournament.  

He can run 50 meters in 6.1 seconds while his time to first base is about 4.2 seconds.  It's also notable he can hit opposite field to slide a ball the other way.  

Defensively, he may be a hole in the outfield, but the Lions clearly drafted him for his bat.  With how the Lions offense was, there is a chance he could crack the starting outfield or at worst be a pinch hitter. 

Team Quote: "He can hit the ball with a wide range and has good bat control with power."

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Round 4: P Keita Horikoshi 堀越啓太

College: Tohoku Fukushi (Miyagi)

High School: Hanasaki Tokuharu (Saitama)

Date of Birth: July 15, 2003

Height: 185 cm (6' 1")

Weight: 96 kg (212 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Right

A native of Saitama, Horikoshi had the unofficially fastest velocity at 164 km/H (102 mph). His fastest official pitch was 157 km/h (98 mph).  He also has a dropping slider and curveball, but his drawback was control issues. 

As a true power pitcher, his workload will likely be as a relief pitcher, which he mostly did throughout college.  

Team Quote: "A pitcher with a big scale who can hold batters with powerful pitches. He can be a foundation for the team in the future."

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Round 5: IF Sowa Yokota 横田蒼和

High School: Yamamura Gakuin (Saitama)

Date of Birth: October 24, 2007

Height: 180 cm (5' 11")

Weight: 87 kg (192 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Left

A two-way player who can pitch and play shortstop, the Lions too Yokota as an infielder. In measurements, he can run to first base in 4.4 seconds and had solid defense. His maximum pitching velocity is 140 km/h. 

Down the road, he could develop into a slugger with decent power hitting, but also stealing bases.  A possible heir to Sosuke Genda. 

Team Quote: "He's a strong player who can hit the ball far. There is hope he can be a future infielder."

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Round 6: OF Yushin Kawada 川田悠慎

Industrial League Team: Shikoku Bank (Kochi)

College: Kyoto Sangyo (Kyoto)

High School: Kochi (Kochi) 

Date of Birth: August 25, 2000

Height: 174 cm (5' 9")

Weight: 70 kg (154 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Left

Kawada is the oldest person in this draft class as he turns 26 next year.  Very little is known of him as he couldn't make a name for himself at the high school or collegiate level, but thrived more with the Shakaijin leagues.  

This is a longshot lottery ticket for a draft pick, much like Teruki Koga was last season. In addition to the outfield, Kawada can also play 2B and SS. Ideally he makes the ichi-gun as a replacement player or pinch runner. 

Team Quote: "He is a fast utility player who can play a variety of positions."

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Ikusei Draft

Round 1: IF Yuito Arai 新井唯斗

High School: Hachioji Gakuin (Tokyo)

Date of Birth: November 11, 2007

Height: 183 cm (6' 0")

Weight: 80 kg (176 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Left

Arai is a Tokorozawa native who has athletic abilities.  From a 50 meter dash time of 6.0 seconds and a long throw of 100 meters, he has the physical tools to be a baseball player. 

Originally an outfielder, he converted to shortstop. A very raw player who will need time to develop. 

Team quote: "He is a large infielder with a good balance of running, hitting and defense with room to grow, making him a highly anticipated player from Tokorozawa."

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Round 2: IF Takumu Imaoka 今岡拓夢

High School: Kamimura Gakuin (Kagoshima)

Date of Birth: September 5, 2007

Height: 180 cm (5' 11")

Weight: 81 kg (179 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Right

Imaoka played for Samurai Japan at the High school level as he can play shortstop. He has potential to be a power hitter down the road.  

In measurements, he can reach first base in 4.4 seconds, run a 50 meter dash in 6.3 seconds and have a long throw of 90 meters. The Lions see a powerful swing that needs time to develop.

Team quote: "He is a large and athletic shortstop."

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Round 3: P Keishin Saito 斎藤佳紳

Independent League Team: Tokushima Indigo Socks (Tokushima)

College: Tenri (Nara), dropped out

High School: Kinkidai Gakusen (Osaka) 

Date of Birth: March 16, 2003

Height: 181 cm (5' 11")

Weight: 89 kg (196 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Left

Saito is a power pitcher who can throw up to 156 km/h (97 mph). A college dropout who went straight to the independent Shikoku island League, he was both a starter and relieved excelling with power.

He can also throw a slider, fork and curveball. Like the other ikusei, he's working for a promotion. 

Team Quote: "He is a pitcher known for his aggressive and spirited power pitching."

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Round 4: P Sota Hamaoka 浜岡蒼太

High School: Kawawa (Kanagawa) 

Date of Birth: October 10, 2007

Height: 176 cm (5' 9")

Weight: 87 kg (192 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Left/Left

Hamaoka was once scouted by MLB scouts saying he has potential. His maximum velocity is 147 km/h (91 mph). In spite of going to a prestigious high school for education, he has had a baseball goal in mind. Hamaoka comes from a athletic minded family with parents and a sister involved with sports. 

When facing batters, his strength is using deception with timing.  He can also throw a slider, changeup and cutter.  

Team Quote: "Although he is a high school student, he has pitcher known for a decent fastball and curveball."

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Round 5: P Hiroto Hiraguchi 平口寛人

College: Nihon Keizai (Fukuoka)

High School: Aikodai Meiden (Aichi) 

Date of Birth: April 15, 2003

Height: 179 cm (5' 10")

Weight: 82 kg (181 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Left/Left

A left-handed pitcher who lacks velocity as his max speed is 140 km/h (87 mph).  He makes up for his weakness with control and breaking balls from a cutter to a slider. In college, he was both a reliever and starter. 

Team Quote: "He is a left handed pitcher with good control which allows him to throw to both sides."

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Round 6: P Yuma Masaki 正木悠馬

College: Jochi/Sophia (Tokyo)

High School: Redmond (Washington State, USA)

Date of Birth: November 19, 2002

Height: 179 cm (5' 10")

Weight: 83 kg (183 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Left

His top velocity is 153 km/h (95 mph) where he drew attention in the Division III tier of college baseball.  He can throw a fastball, forkball, slider and curveball. 

Masaki's slider can draw comparisons to Tatsuya Imai and Kaima Taira.  Aside from playing in a lower league, control was an issue on the scouting reports. 

Masaki remains a classic underdog story.  He spent a portion of his childhood in the USA, including high school.  What makes this really interesting trivially, is he lived in Dutch Harbor, Alaska due to his father working as a fisherman. 

Team Quote: "He is a highly promising pitcher with a style uses gravity of his entire body."

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Round 7: OF Ginto Ando 安藤銀杜

Independent Team: Tokushima Indigo Socks (Tokushima)

College: Josai (Chiba)

High School: Kyoei (Aichi) 

Date of Birth: February 4, 2003

Height: 198 cm (6' 6")

Weight: 110 kg (243 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Right

Ando has the size and frame for an athlete where he was a pitcher who could hit 152 km/h. However, his control is why teams held back and the Lions see him as a position player. 

He remains a longshot, much like all the other ikusei taken. 

Team Quote: "He has outstanding physical abilities and is a promising player who has the potential to become a central figure on the team in the future."

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Summary

The Lions took an approach which netted players who can help immediately with a bunch of lottery tickets on the backside.  Ideally the first four draft picks could make their debut in 2026 while the others develop. 

They're hoping the offense can have a spark with Kojima and Akiyama in the fold, but also had a conservative pitcher in Iwaki taken. There is upside for Horikoshi if his control can be fixed. 

We will review Lions draft classes of the past throughout this offseason. 

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Lions land Kojima in 2025 NPB Draft

 

The 2025 NPB Draft took place on Thursday night with all 12 teams making their picks for the future.

For the first round, the Saitama Seibu Lions already said they were going for C Taiga Kojima out of Meiji University and they won his rights without opposition. 

In a drama free first round for the Lions, there was plenty of other surprises with two teams wanting the Stanford infielder Rintaro Sasaki.  

Kojima is considered to be one of the best bats available in this class. However, he doesn't have a solidified position. Once an infielder, he was later a catcher.

When playing for Samurai Japan at the collegiate level, he became a DH.  The Lions offense has been a weakness and they addressed a need right away. On paper, he could start early if he impresses the staff. 

It's possible he could compete with Yuto Koga for the catcher position, even if his defense is weaker.  

As earlier stated, the Lions have lacked long term depth at catcher with veteran Ginjiro Sumitani being the only one who is serviceable.  Kojima can hope to change the narrative.

Here are all the Lions draft picks for 2025:

1. C Taiga Kojima, Meiji University, Tokyo

2. LHP Hakua Iwaki, Chuo University, Tokyo

3. OF Shun Akiyama, Chukyo University, Aichi

4. RHP Keita Horikoshi, Tohoku Fukushi University, Miyagi

5. IF/RHP Sowa Yokota, Yamamura Gakuin High School, Saitama 

6. IF Yuushin Kawada, Shikoku Ginko (bank), Kochi

Ikusei

1. IF Yuito Arai, Hachioji Gakuin High School, Tokyo

2. IF Takumu Imaoka, Kamimura Gakuin High School, Kagoshima

3. RHP Keishin Saito, Tokushima Indigo Socks (Tokushima)

4. LHP Sota Hamaoka, Kawawa High School, Kanagawa

5. LHP Hiroto Hiraguchi, Nihon Keisei University, Fukuoka

6. RHP Yuma Masaki, Sophia University, Tokyo

7. RHP Ginto Ando, Tokushima Indigo Socks (Tokushima)

We will research and study further on these picks with a future writeup.  

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Lions announce Kojima as 2025 draft nomination

 

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With two days remaining before the 2025 NPB Draft, the Saitama Seibu Lions revealed their card.

On Tuesday, it was announced by General Manager Koji Hiroike that the Lions nomination will be C Taiga Kojima out of Meiji University. 

Kojima, a Kanagawa prefecture native, is thought to be one of the best hitting players in this draft.  A left handed bat who could play infield, primarily played catcher in his most recent seasons within the Tokyo Big 6.  

Hiroike admitted the team plans to take him as a catcher, even though the Lions already have Yuto Koga as a starting catcher. There has been a lack of depth behind Koga at this position.  

Ginjiro Sumitani, 38, came back as a veteran and doesn't have many years left in him.  Others have not performed up to the task with Sena Tsuge, Takeru Furuichi and Shoya Makino only being part time. Otherwise, Haruki Tatsuyama was a sixth round draft pick out of high school last year. 

For the longest time, the Lions were linked to Masahiro Tateishi, who is one of the consensus best players in this class.  

As reported by Kaneko-san, Kojima will be the first college catcher taken in the first round since Shota Ono by the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in 2008. The Lions previously took Tomoya Mori out of high school in 2013.   

Kaneko-san also cited the Lions have a need for a left handed bat with Manaya Nishikawa, Natsuo Takizawa and Takayoshi Yamamura leading the way. 

Draft projections indicate most teams are taking someone else, but no one else has announced their pick in a public manner except the Hiroshima Carp with Tateishi.  

It's likely this pick could be contested by one or two other teams at most. Here's the current X poll of Lions. 

The Draft will take place on October 23 in the evening. 

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Seibu Lions end 2025 on down note

 

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The 2025 Saitama Seibu Lions were officially eliminated in September, but a bad run in July sealed their fate.  Or was it other factors? 

At the end of the day, there was progress but we'll catch up with things that occurred in the last few months. 

Are the Lions back at square one?

The team looked competitive right before the All Star break hovering around .500.  However, it was a 4-16-1 July that buried the team for good.  A couple bad outings in Naha and the offense looked too similar to what we saw in 2024.

Staring pitching was elite, but it was the bullpen that kept the Lions ahead in close games when they had the lead.  They had a rare 27-22 winning record in one-run games in spite of a below average offense. 

There remains a lack of pop outside of Tyler Nevin.  Manaya Nishikawa and Seiya Watanabe were promising first half players, but they also cooled off like the rest of the team. 

The vibes are similar to the end of 2023, a flawed young group with potential building blocks having a good foreigner in Nevin, but who can hit domestically? It hasn't been enough to compete.  

But this second half of offense just leaves a bitter taste, including attending two consecutive shutout games in Chiba.  

Something positive we can mention is not being worried when Kona Takahashi will be posted in the offseason. He had a rebound season and the Lions starting pitching shouldn't be an issue. 

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Successful foreign signings weren't enough 

Tyler Nevin, Trey Wingenter and Emmanuel Ramirez are all returning for 2026 where Nevin and Wingenter were allowed to leave early at the conclusion of the final home game. 

Usually three foreign signings returning is good enough to make a competitive team right? Not the Lions.  It shows how bad the drafting and development of the position players have been since Shogo Akiyama left for the Cincinnati Reds.  There's players with flashes, but everyday starters? Not much on hitting.  The 1-0 loss in Chiba on 9/23 summed up the Lions in a nutshell, to load the bases with no outs on the 9th, only to squander it and lose being shutout.  

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Lions part ways with several 戦力外 (senryokugai)

The follow players were announced as being let go:

RHP Katsunori Hirai

RHP Yoshinobu Mizukami

RHP Ren Omagari*

RHP Hiroki Inoue*

LHP Takeru Sasaki

IF Teruki Koga

IF Kazuki Nomura*

IF Ryota Kawano*

OF Seiya Matsubara

OF Montell Higuma

OF Koichi Okumura

IF Kento Watanabe

*Denotes player was under Ikusei

Kento Watanabe was the former first round pick that has set back the team big-time. Others like Kawank, Inoue and Omagari have been under Ikusei for several years or dropped down from the roster. 

Hirai had an amazing 2019 before his arm was overshot and was a mainstay in the Lions bullpen for several years.  Mizukami was the PL rookie of the year in 2022, but struggled to keep his job with others emerging.  

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The Draft

The NPB Draft is this coming Thursday.  While there has been no public announcement at the time of this writing, the Lions have been linked to 3B Masahiro Tateishi out of Soka University. He is likely the most contested infielder in the class. The Hiroshima Carp already announced he will be their nomination earlier this month.  

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2025 Lions Digest: It's time to think ahead

 

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The second half of the 2025 season or crossing the midpoint is gut check time for teams around the league. But from an individual standpoint, it's also a clock that's ticking towards the end of a few who become expendable as draft picks will come and take their roster spots on the offseason. 

In this exercise, we have looked at the roster and will mention any players who could likely be gone as senryokugai (戦力外) as they won't be offered a contract for 2026. 

We will also look at all foreigners with where they stand and list an ikusei who have to be let go by default, but could obviously come back at the team's discretion. 

As a disclaimer, we are not rooting for players to lose their jobs, but it is something to brace for as the month of July comes to a close. 

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Yuta Kuroki

Kuroki was an experimental signing as he played for both the Orix Buffaloes and Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters previously. So far, his role remains low leverage, but given he is in his 30s, the upside isn't there.

Katsunori Hirai

Hirai was a solid middle reliever from 2017-2019 with a rebound 2022 season.  However, his arm has a high amount of mileage, especially with how overplayed he became in 2019.  

He hasn't made an ichi-gun appearance in 2025 while it's also a contract season. Hirai reached domestic free agency in 2023 and signed a two year contract to remain with the Lions.  This remains uncertain as his contract expires this year. 

Taishi Mameda

Mameda looked to be a promising reliever in 2023, but has fallen out of favor since his promotion from ikusei.  He is only 22 years old, yet has taken a step back.  It's unclear what the team could do with him, potentially placing a designation for the Active player draft. 

Yuta Nakamura

A former Hiroshima Carp pitcher taken in the Active Player Draft, Nakamura has been an innings eater in low leverage.  But his job has also been limited despite being on the ichi-gun roster. 

Takeru Sasaki

Coming off a return from an ikusei demotion, Sasaki has continued to bounce up and down the ichi-gun roster.   It's unclear if he has a role long term, though it wouldn't be surprising if the Lions give him an ikusei designation.

Sena Tsuge

Tsuge is the second oldest catcher on the roster and has mostly fallen out of favor, though he was recently called up. This is still uncertainty if the Lions see a catcher in the draft.

Taiga Hirasawa

Taken last fall in the Active Player Draft, Hirasawa has not hit well with the change of scenery.  Once a former first round draft pick, his history of the yips is clear and with only six ichi-gun games up to this point, his services aren't needed.

Hiyu Motoyama

Motoyama is a defensive replacement at best for the infield. Unfortunately, he can't hit his own weight to be a starter at the ichi-gun level.  While he has a purpose, there could be others waiting to take his spot. 

Daiju Nomura

Taken in a trade with the SoftBank Hawks, Nomura has seen limited playing time and it's on pace to not work out.  Could be an easy cutting candidate. 

Kento Watanabe

A former first round pick that no one wants to remember, he has failed to play a single ichi-gun game in 2025.  This may finally be time to cut the losses or at least designate him for ikusei.

Koichi Okumura

A 2023 draft pick out of the independent leagues, Okumura already had a handicap coming into this. He has barely seen Ni-gun action while not playing a game at the ichi-gun level in 2025. 

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Earlier this season, the Lions dumped both Ryusei Sato and Kakeru Yamanobe who were both expendable.   

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Ikusei who must be let go

This list is for players who spent at least three years in NPB and have to be designated as a senryokugai at season's end. The Lions can always re-sign these players to another ikusei contract if they desire.

P Shota Hamaya

P Hiroki Inoue

P Daiju Miura

P Ryosuke Moriwaki

P Ren Omagari

P Towa Uema

C Ryosuke Koresawa

IF Ryota Kawano

IF Kazuki Nomura

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Foreign Imports

Tyler Nevin: Nevin has locked up a contract through 2027.  His contact has shown he can be an every day starter and the Lions didn't try to wait this out, signing up right at the conclusion of interleague play.

He won't hit 30 home runs, but we're not concerned.

Bo Takahashi: Bo has yet to play a single ichi-gun game in 2025 when his role was expanded last year as a starter.  He could be on his way out at this pace. 

Leandro Cedeño: Cedeño has been a disappointment, already benched in May and given a limited role since.  For a player who has power potential and already two years of experience in NPB, he's been a liability in the lineup and only hit two home runs and an OPS blow .500.  

Emmanuel Ramirez: So far, Ramirez has done his part as a medium to low leverage pitcher.  Kept his job at the ichi-gun level until he couldn't with an injury in early July.  When times were desperate, he came out as a reliever in the 8th inning and succeeded.  

If he's out for the year and doesn't regress, there's a good chance the Lions bring him back for 2026. He's done everything the team has asked of him up to this point.

Trey Wingenter: Wingenter has been the power pitcher for the 8th inning. Mostly reliable, if he continues at his current pace, the Lions will offer him a contract for 2026.  

J.D. Davis: Davis was just signed but he Lions this week and he made his debut against the SoftBank Hawks over the weekend. Time will tell what he does and we'll label this as to be continued. A fun fact is he will qualify for our Seibu Lions and A's series, like Nevin.  

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The Lions fall back to earth

In a worse case scenario before the All-Star break, the Lions were swept at home to the SoftBank Hawks.

At 42-45-1, they sit 5.5 games out of A-class behind the Orix Buffaloes and it's very clear this team isn't ready for the postseason.  

For now, we'd be happy to avoid last place and just be competitive. However, the offense has shown what a last place team could be due to a lack of power hitting as a whole. 

Our primary goal for 2025 was to be competitive by July and take a step up from 2025. 

They had a winning record at the official mid season point (past Game 72), that's all we can ask for. Hopefully the kids develop as this season goes on. 

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Lions sign extension with Nevin through 2027

 

The Saitama Seibu Lions entered the interleague makeup week with a significant transaction.  

They announced on Monday morning they've signed Tyler Nevin to a two-year extension through the 2027 season. 

"With his strong hitting, solid defense, and dedication and leadership, he is an indispensable player for the Lions right now, and we have determined that he will be an (important) for next season and beyond, Lions General Manager Koji Hiroike said in a statement. 

"We are very happy that we were able to reach an agreement on his contract at such an early stage. We hope that he will play an active role as a central player for the Lions for a long time.'

Nevin, 28, won the Pacific League MVP for the month of May. It was a month where the Lions swept the awards as Tatsuya Imai won the same award for a pitcher.  

The Lions have used Nevin to hit at the top of the order from the third spot to even going in cleanup. 

While not a traditional foreign power hitter with only five home runs, Nevin has contributed in more ways than none by hitting doubles and playing great defense at first base. 

For having fewer whiffs and making decent contact, something the Lions gave lacked, it has kept the team competitive after coming off a last place 2024. 

This is the first time a Lions foreign player has been guaranteed three years since Zach Neal was under contract from 2019-2021.  

Ernesto Mejia was with the Lions from 2014-2021. However, his role diminished from 2017 until he asked to be released in the middle of 2021. 

In a very tight and competitive Pacific League, the Lions finished interleague play with a 10-8 record to be 37-31 through June 22. 

They currently sit in 4th place, just 0.5 games outside of A-class behind the SoftBank Hawks. 

Several things have needed to go right in order to have a winning record and Nevin is a reason for this.  

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Ryusei Sato traded

When the series with the Chunichi Dragons concluded, the Lions agreed to send infielder Ryusei Sato to the opposition for cash. 

In a strange cycle where Sato was once traded to Fighters only to come back to the Lions and have a promising 2023, he fell out of favor in 2025. 

This is the second time a Lions player was traded mid season for cash following Kakeru Yamanobe to the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. 

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2025 Seibu Lions Digest: Panic button?

 

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The Saitama Seibu Lions had a winning month of May at 13-11, but they started off the first week of interleague play with a 2-4 record against the Tokyo Yakult Swallows and Hiroshima Carp riding a four-game losing streak.  

It was the first time being swept in a three-game series since Opening Weekend against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.  

With the recent losing, they sit in B-class behind the SoftBank Hawks in 4th place due to percentage points.  

Lions are fortunate up to this point

Last season, the Lions were a complete failure in one-run games. Through June 8, they sit at a 12-6 record in this situation and this could mean things catch up to them.  With Sunday's 10-0 loss to close out the series in Hiroshima, the Lions run differential is now +2.  

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Offense is improved from 2024, but may not be enough for A-class

The Lions went from horrible to now several steps below average on hitting. Manaya Nishikawa has been promising, but slowed down. 

Seiya Watanabe remains out with injury and has already missed more than 20 games total with weeks away from the ichi-gun roster. They try to make up for it with stolen bases, but going over aggressive in running could come back to bite. 

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Lack of ties in extra innings could come back to hurt

The Lions are one of two Pacific League teams to not have a stalemate in their record.  Four of those losses on the road were walkoffs and in extra innings with one of them even reaching the 12th. 

They've had their share of wins at home, but being clutch has become an issue the longer the game goes when away.

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The mixed bag of imports

With the Lions being the worst Pacific League team in 2024, they were forced to make several foreign signings and it's looking average as a whole. Leandro Cedeño has been a disappointment with a stint off the ichi-gun.  

Tyler Nevin plays great defense and similarly compared to David MacKinnon having a lack of power hitting. Yet he does his part in the lineup. 

Trey Wingenter has been the setup man and mostly reliable.  However, the Lions don't trust Emmanuel Ramirez to take meaningful innings as he's down to mop up duties. 

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Cedeño's lack of presence has caused no power threats

The leader in home runs for 2024 was a tie between part time veteran Takeya Nakamura and Shuta Tonosaki with seven. As long as Tyler Nevin is healthy, he will likely hit at least 10 HRs, but the lack of team pop remains, an issue since Hotaka Yamakawa was suspended in 2023. 

Only question is, do the Lions give up on Cedeño? It's not looking good.

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Slow start for Takeuchi, but rotation is fine. 

Natsuki Takeuchi, the reigning Pacific League rookie of the Year, has been off to a rough beginning after returning from an offseason injury. He was the culprit for why the Carp broke the game open on Sunday.

The stars in Chihiro Sumida and Tatsuya Imai have had nearly no trouble while the rotation has had good value from Yutaro Watanabe and Shinya Sugai. 

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Bullpen regulars have been established

The aforementioned Wingenter has taken the 8th inning, but Fumiya Nishiguchi has used Haruto Yamada and Hiroshi Kaino for the 6th or 7th innings as the bridge to eventually get to Kaima Taira.  

In spite of a down season for Shunsuke Sato, other have picked up the slack.  There could always be a chance Yoshinobu Mizukami can earn his way back someday too.  

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What is this team? 

The Lions are competitive, but the offense reflects that things could get ice cold soon as long as S. Watanabe is out. In 2016, a sweep defeat in Hiroshima ended the Lions season or any hope. 

There are still two more weeks of interleague play that could break this team if the hitting doesn't get better. 

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