Hanshin Tigers’ Morishita Shota (森下翔太) received instruction at the REBASE training facility, and his home-run total increased this season, while his slugging percentage and average exit velocity also improved. Signs of his development have been reported, including a home run to the back screen at Koshien in September.
REBASE, the baseball training facility in Tokyo where Morishita Shota (森下翔太) receives instruction, has focused intensively on developing his mental image of hitting under mentor Ikeda Norihito (池田則仁). As of 6 October, it was reported that his home-run total had increased this season from 23 last season to 35, his slugging percentage had improved from .463 to .560, and his average exit velocity had risen from 146km/h to 149.2km/h.
Morishita says he is proud of his development, citing the ball he hit to the back screen at Koshien in the 20 September game against DeNA. Ikeda has consistently advised him on visualisation before games, and Morishita is said to have put that advice into practice.
Ikeda looks back on the day Morishita joined the programme and describes how Morishita sought help during a period when his batting average had been declining since the autumn of his second year at Chuo University. Their mentor-student relationship has entered its 6th year, and they continue to contact each other regularly, supporting improvements in Morishita’s hitting.
The article focuses on Morishita’s development, discussing his mentor’s coaching philosophy and his past struggles at the plate, and suggests the possibility of further progress ahead.