It was revealed through local media that Japan is moving in cooperation with all teams to return to the top at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) to be held in March.
Japanese sports newspaper ‘Sports Hochi’ reported on the Internet on the 6th that Orix Buffaloes right-hander Yuki Udagawa (24), one of the key players in the Japanese national team’s bullpen, has been scolded since the start of spring camp due to lack of off-season winter training. introduced.
Udagawa is a bullpen pitcher who throws a slider and forkball along with a fastball with a maximum velocity of 159km, and showed off his outstanding performance last year by appearing like a comet on the mound of the Orix 1st team. He started the 2022 season in the 2nd group and made his debut in the 1st group only in July, but threw 22.1 innings in 19 games, leaving an impressive record of 2 wins, 1 loss, 3 holds, an average ERA of 0.81 and 32 strikeouts. Born to a Japanese father and a Filipino mother, he is also a person who writes the story of being selected as a national team player after two years of wearing an Orix uniform as a foster player.
Udagawa is the face that draws attention in this spring camp, but he is already getting scolded for his lack of preparation.
Orix coach Satoshi Nakajima said, “At this rate, I can’t use it in the WBC. “I don’t know if he is really aware that he is in the Japanese national team,” he said bitterly, “I wonder if he is ready.”
Players selected for the WBC national team should speed up 2 to 3 weeks earlier than usual for the March tournament. However, it is pointed out that Udagawa, who was ‘surprisingly selected’ for the national team, is not prepared for the tournament at all. 메이저사이트 It was reported that his body was also quite swollen amidst the criticism that “I don’t know how he spent the offseason.” It is pointed out that the weight that seems to be over 100kg should also be reduced.
Udagawa is a kind of secret weapon in the Japanese national team. He was honored to be selected for the WBC national team only because of his strong impression in the second half of last year. However, in the preparation process, a lack of experience and lack of awareness were revealed, and the coach of his team took the first step and heard the ‘whip’. He also seems to have issued a ‘public warning’ by disclosing related information through local media.