Osaka natives Kota Kota Tatsu and Manaya Nishikawa are among 11 players making their first appearance! All-Star manager selection announced | Pacific League

The Mynavi All-Star Game 2025 will be held at Kyocera Dome Osaka on Wednesday, July 23rd and at Yokohama Stadium on Thursday, July 24th. The players selected by the manager’s team were announced on the 7th. The players selected from Pacific League and their comments are as follows.

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters

pitcher Kota Tatsu (pitcher Division/First Time Participant)
“I’m happy to have been selected. The event will be held in Osaka, where I was born and raised, so I want to give back to the local people and have fun doing my best.”

pitcher Koki Kitayama (pitcher Division/First Time Appearance)
“I’m honestly happy to have been nominated by the manager of the opposing team that I usually play against. My boss (Manager Shinjo) told me to ‘strike out all struck out,’ so I’ll do my best to pitch.”

Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles

pitcher Naoto Nishiguchi (pitcher Division/First Time Appearance)
“I was extremely happy (to be selected for the All-Star Game). I believe I was able to come this far (overcoming my injury) because the management and trainers looked after me well, and I have nothing but gratitude. At the press conference when I joined the team, I declared that I wanted to become pitcher like Fujikawa (current Hanshin Tigers manager) who can get strikeouts with a warning fastball, so if I get the chance, I would like to pitch like Fujikawa did on the All-Star stage.”

Itsuki Murabayashi (infielder Division/First Time Participant)
“(Being selected for the All-Star Game) was a great honor and made me happy. I hope to have the opportunity to communicate with various players, such as (fellow infielder) Kurebayashi (Orix) and Maki (Yokohama DeNA). (My goal) is, first of all, to do my best to be able to play in a game.”

Saitama Seibu Lions

pitcher Chihiro Sumida (pitcher Division/First Time Participant)
“I was surprised to be selected, but I’m happy because it’s a tournament I’d like to participate in at least once in my baseball career. When I’m on mound, I’m looking forward to facing Morishita (Shota), a good right-handed hitter I also faced in the interleague games. I have a lot of pitches that I can pitch to get strikeouts, so I hope people will keep an eye on that.”

pitcher Kaima Taira (pitcher category/4th time)
“This will be my fourth time, and I’m always happy. There wasn’t any timing during the interleague games, but I’m looking forward to playing against (Shota) Morishita. He’s a good hitter who can hit the ball in a wide range, so I’ll pitch a curveball to the first pitch. But I’ll also try to show my own strengths and do my best.”

Natsuo Takizawa (second baseman baseman/first appearance)
“I never thought I’d be selected, so I’m surprised and happy. This is a forum where players representing each team gather, so I’d like to ask my fellow infielder lots of questions. I’ll do my best to show that even small players can do things.”

Manaya Nishikawa (outfielder category/first appearance)
“As a baseball player, I’ve always wanted to play in the tournament, so I’m really happy. I’m good friends with pitcher Tatsuya Shimizu of Chunichi Dragons, and we’ve never played against each other before, so I hope we can play against each other in the All-Star game. I hope the fans will come and see my aggressive play.”

Chiba Lotte Marines

pitcher Shunsuke Nakamori (pitcher Division/First Time Appearance)
“It’s a stage I’ve always dreamed of, having watched it on TV since I was little, so I’m honestly happy to be able to take part in it. There are a lot of different players, so I hope to absorb everything I can and make it my own. Whenever I pitch, I’ll aim to strike out struck out. I’ll mainly be fastball straight balls, but I’d also like to try throwing balls I’ve never thrown before.”

Ryusei Terachi (catcher category/first appearance)
“I was surprised. I would like to hear from various people and incorporate that into my own experiences. I would like to spend a fulfilling time watching, listening and learning. I would like to show my presence as a representative The Marines through my play.”

Orix Buffaloes

pitcher Alen Kuri (pitcher category/2nd time)
“I’m honestly happy to have been selected as an All-Star member. It’s an opportunity for all the great players from each team to gather together, so I think there’s a lot I can learn, and I hope to have the opportunity to talk with a variety of players. (During the game) I will swing my arm with all my might, just like I did during the season, and throw the ball into strike zone. I want to enjoy this rare opportunity as I play, and more than anything, I’ll do my best to make it enjoyable for the fans who support me!”

Fukuoka Softbank Hawks

Moinello pitcher (pitcher Division/2nd time)
“This will be my second time participating in the tournament, but I’m honestly happy and honored, and I’m looking forward to playing with players who don’t usually get to play on the same team, and I’m looking forward to having a good time.”

Kazuki Sugiyama pitcher (pitcher Division/First Appearance)
“I’m very happy [to be selected for the first time] and I want to learn what I can learn from other clubs. [The goal of an All-Star] is to come back injury-free.”

Ukyo Shuto Player (outfielder Division/2nd time)
“I’m delighted. I’m going to think about it carefully. I don’t usually play with many players, so I want to talk about a lot of things and enjoy the two matches. (Hotaka Yamakawa says that Takuya Kai will give stolen base), but Kai has already stolen base it, so I want to show him my home run up close when Kai is catcher.”

Tatsuru Yanagimachi Player (outfielder Division/First Appearance)
“I’m very happy [to be selected for the first time], because I don’t have a lot of interaction with players from other clubs, so I’d like to increase my interactions during this period. I want to talk about batting with everyone. Yamakawa (Hodaka) will score the stolen base and Yukyo (Zhou Dong) will hit the home run, so I want to catch Kai (Takuya)’s batted ball.”