The July “Taiju Life Monthly MVP Award” winners were announced on the 8th, with Nippon-Ham Fighters outfielder Franmil Reyes (30) winning Pacific League fielder category. This is his second time receiving the award, following his win in August last year. In July, he played in 21 games, leading the batting line with a batting average of .324, six Home Run, and 19 RBI, and showed his competitive spirit by hitting two grand slam. Starting on the 9th, the team will play a three-game series against the top-ranked Softbank Hawks on the road, in a battle for the top spot. Expectations are high for this foreign hitter as he enters his summer season, his speciality.
Reyes beamed at the long-awaited title. He was awarded the July MVP with a batting average of .324, six Home Run, and 19 RBI. In fact, he had been waiting for good news since May, when he hit seven home runs and had 16 RBI, and he revealed, “Every month, I gave 100% with the desire to receive this award. I thought I had performed well the month Nevin won (May), but I was a little disappointed.”
It’s his favorite season. Last season, he had a wild August with a batting average of .430, 8 Home Run, and 23 RBI. This season, he’s also maintaining his good form in August, batting .357 with 1 Home Run and 6 RBI in 5 games so far. When asked about the secret to his summer dominance, including his July award, he laughed and said, “I’m sorry, but I don’t eat anything special (laughs). I’m from the Dominican Republic, so I think I’ve always been good at the heat.”
He exuded strong determination for the three-game series starting on the 9th, which will see the team battle for the top spot. “It’s really important. It’s important for the whole team to give it our all, both defense and offensively. I want to aim for a series win.” Regarding himself, he said enthusiastically, “I think there will be few chances, but it’s best not to miss them. I’ll do my job. I think I can score RBI, so I want to do that.”
Last season, they suffered three straight losses in the final stage of the CS. The difference in strength was made clear. “Winning is everyone’s goal. I think everyone ended the 2024 season in a disappointing way, and I’m approaching this season with the same feelings. When I was talking about golf with Fushimi, we said we should play together when we go to Hawaii (for the victory trip). I feel like we’re all heading towards this goal, not just a pipe dream.” So that everyone can laugh at the end, he will show off his summer man side again this year.
(Yamaguchi Yasushi)
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