Hiroshima Carp outfielder Seiya Suzuki was "godlike" last season. At least that was the word.
"Kamitteru," or godlike, topped the list of buzzwords in Japan last year, winning the 2016 U-Can Shingo Ryukogo Taisho (2016 U-Can New Words and Buzzwords Awards). The phrase, which has been in the teenage vernacular for years, was attached to Suzuki when manager Koichi Ogata used it after the outfielder hit sayonara home runs against the Orix Buffaloes on consecutive days in June of last year. Suzuki even attended the buzzwords awards ceremony in December.
Suzuki, 22, might have only been described as godlike for those two days in June, but for Carp fans, he was pretty close to it the rest of the year as well. He made the All-Star team and emerged as one of the main pieces in Japan's top offense and as one of NPB's top players.