[Nippon-Ham] Akihiro Wakabayashi decides to retire, after eight years as a professional with The Giants and two other teams. He contributed to The Giants' league victories in 2019 and 2020. | Pacific League

[Nippon-Ham] Akihiro Wakabayashi decides to retire from active play, having spent eight years as a professional with The Giants and two teams, contributing to The Giants’ league victories in 2019 and 2020.

Sports Hochi

2025.9.26(金) 13:00

若林晃弘

It was announced on the 26th that Nippon-Ham infielder Akihiro Wakabayashi has decided to retire at the end of this season. An official announcement will be made soon. His retirement game will be on September 28th against the Eastern League Yakult Swallows (Kamagaya).

This season marks his second year since transferring from The Giants and his eighth year as a professional. Although he missed the opening day first team, he was promoted to the first team on April 10th and played in seven games with a batting average of .143. After being removed from the roster on May 2nd, he continued training in the second team, and played in 42 games in the farm team with a batting average of .222, 0 Home Run, and 10 RBI.

Last season, his first year after the transfer, was plagued by repeated injuries, including a pulled hamstring in his left thigh, and for the first time, he did not play in the first team. Last offseason, he focused on building an injury-resistant physique, saying, “I focused on running and strengthened my core and other parts of my body,” and entered spring training with that in mind. He also traveled with the first team, and, following advice from manager Shinjo, he tried various things, such as temporarily concentrating on batting left-handed, as it was “easier to make contact with the ball.” The manager had high expectations for him, but with the rise of younger players, his playing opportunities were limited.

While with The Giants, he played in 77 games in 2019 and 76 games in 2020. As a valuable switch hitter who can play both outfield, he contributed to the team’s consecutive league championships in 2019 and 2020. Manager Hara described him as “a hard worker on a daily basis.” In 2021, he played in a career-high 96 games, batting .239 with five Home Run. “Waka-san,” beloved by many players on two teams, will now be calling time on his eight-year professional career.

◆ Wakabayashi Akihiro (Wakabayashi Akihiro) Born August 26, 1993, Nakano Ward, Tokyo. 32 years old. After graduating from Toin Gakuen High School, he went on to Hosei University and JX-ENEOS before joining The Giants as the sixth pick in the 2017 draft. In March 2012, he was traded with Kori and transferred to Nippon-Ham. He is 180 cm tall and weighs 79 kg. He is a right-handed pitcher and switch hitter. His annual salary is 18 million yen. He has played in 335 games, batting .228 with 12 Home Run runs, 59 RBI, and 15 stolen base.