Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks starting pitcher Ryosuke Otsu showed impressive speed as he sprinted to first for an infield hit during Game 4 of the Japan Series.
The play was notable not only because of the relative rarity of a pitcher not named Shohei Ohtani getting a hit, but mainly because Otsu might be one of the last to ever do it.
Pitchers getting hits will go from rare to virtually extinct after next season, as the Central League plans to adopt the designated hitter rule in 2027. Next year’s Japan Series will mark the final time a pitcher, at least according to the rules, will have to bat in an NPB game.
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