Tanishige Praises Saito’s Fastball but Points Out a Key Concern

Former Chunichi Dragons catcher and baseball commentator Motonobu Tanishige praised Hiroshima Toyo Carp pitcher Yuta Saito during the team's game against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars on August 8, while also pointing out an area he believes the young right-hander needs to improve.

Saito started the game for Hiroshima and delivered a solid performance after struggling in his previous outing.

He threw five innings and 85 pitches, allowing five hits and two runs while striking out four and walking two. Although DeNA put runners on base in almost every inning except the second, Saito limited the damage and kept Hiroshima within striking distance.

During the broadcast, Tanishige was particularly impressed by Saito's fastball.

However, he noticed a change in Saito's approach when runners reached scoring position.

“There is one thing that concerns me,” Tanishige said. “As soon as Saito puts a runner in scoring position, he starts relying mainly on his breaking pitches.”

Tanishige believes Saito should make greater use of his fastball in those situations.

“If he has a fastball that good, I think he and his catcher should consider using it a little more, even when he gets into trouble.”

The comment highlights an important part of Saito's development. The 22-year-old right-hander has shown flashes of the potential that made him a highly regarded young pitcher, but learning how to maintain his strengths under pressure will be an important next step.

Saito's outing against DeNA was also encouraging because it came after a difficult start against Chunichi on August 1, when he allowed five runs over four innings.

Although Hiroshima ultimately lost 4-3 in 12 innings, Saito gave the Carp five competitive innings and showed signs of bouncing back from his previous performance.

With the Carp's pitching staff currently dealing with several injuries and roster changes, Saito's development could become increasingly important during the second half of the season.

Tanishige's observation also offers Saito and the Carp's battery an interesting point to work on: can the young pitcher trust his best weapon even when the pressure is at its highest?