[Nippon-Ham] Takumi Yamamoto aims to become the first player in the NPB to throw at over 160 km/h while standing at 160 cm.
Sports Hochi
2025.11.9(日) 07:20
Nippon-Ham Takumi Yamamoto pitcher (25) of the NPB set a goal on August 8 to become the first NPB player in the 160-centimeter height range with a pitch speed over 160 kilometers per minute. He said, “My goal for next year is to reach a maximum of 160 kilometers per hour. The average is 155 km/h.” “My goal for next year is to reach a maximum of 160 km/h. He set a target of 5 km up from this season’s fastest speed of 155 km. At 167 centimeters tall, he is the smallest player in the NPB , along with Ishikawa. I want to catch up to his height eventually,” he said, adding that he hopes to record a pitch speed of 167 km/h in the future. pitcher Yakult
This season, he pitched in 27 games as a relief pitcher, with two wins and two losses and ERA of 3.51. He made his presence felt by recording 12 consecutive runs games from May to July, but he began to lose momentum after the summer. “I lost muscle mass and weight, and my performance dropped,” he reflected. After being removed from the roster on September 3rd, he reviewed his training, recording his diet, training content, and weight changes every day. He weighed 78 kg immediately after the end of the season, and has successfully increased his weight to 83 kg. “I envision putting on 2-3 kg in the end. I’ll do it systematically without losing my sharpness,” he said, focusing on building a foundation to compete all year long.
It is generally said that the taller and larger a player is, the faster they are likely to throw the ball. “I can’t catch up in height, but I can get close in weight. If I can handle that weight, my ball speed will also increase.” The 25-year-old, whose power grows stronger every year, is challenging himself to reach a level unparalleled in the world. (Haruki Kawakami)
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AloJapan.com