Nippon-Ham Fighters’ Akihiro Wakabayashi announces his retirement… “Thank you so much for supporting me.”
Baseball King
2025.9.26(金) 07:46
Nippon-Ham Fighters’ Akihiro Wakabayashi (32) announced on the 26th that he will retire from active play at the end of this season.
Wakabayashi attended Toin Gakuen High School, Hosei University, and JX-ENEOS before joining The Giants as the sixth pick in the 2017 draft. In March 2024, he was traded to Nippon-Ham Fighters for Takuya Gun. He has only played in five games so far this season.
Wakabayashi commented through the team, “I have decided to retire at the end of this season. I spent six years with the Giants and two with The Fighters, and there have been many good and bad times since I entered the professional world, but I was able to play for eight years thanks to the support of all the fans. I am truly grateful. I have also met so many people through baseball, and I believe that I am who I am today because of their support. I have grown not only as a baseball player, but also as a person. It was a truly happy time, as I was able to have such valuable experiences. I have had many injuries and caused a lot of worry, but I would like to play healthily until the end. Thank you so much for supporting me.”
AloJapan.com