The highest number of walks in five consecutive at-bats, and two of them are full-count matches…To the opposing pitcher, he was an irritant

Aug 02, 2025

The highest number of walks in five consecutive at-bats, and two of them are full-count matches…To the opposing pitcher, he was an irritant
Softbank's flagship batter Kondo walked five consecutive at-bats against Rakuten on the 2nd. He is tied for the most walks in a Pacific League game. Including the last at-bat of the previous day, he walked to four pitches in six consecutive at-bats. Photo capture = Softbank Hawks SNS



Softbank Hawks outfielder Gondo Genske (31). He is the best hitter in the Japanese professional baseball (NPB) with power and contact ability. He made his professional debut in 2012 and has a career batting average of 0.308-1347 for 14 seasons. He became the first home run and RBI king in 2023 when he moved from the Nippon Ham Fighters to Softbank. That year, he hit `26 home runs' and posted `87 RBIs.' Seven years to five billion yen, he performed well to match the FA's best treatment.

Kondo, who started as a catcher, was a bad mid-range hitter during his time at Nippon Ham. In 2021, when he hit 11 home runs, he hit double-digit homers only once. He posted 69 RBIs twice, which was the most in a season. However, he changed to a Softbank uniform and upgraded to a more powerful hitter than before. He said he would increase his slugging power by moving the team, but it didn't end with his profession.

He topped the batting average last season with a .314 batting average. He was named the Pacific League MVP with 19 home runs - 72 RBIs. The best Daewoo transfer instilled a sense of responsibility in him. It would have been a strong motivation. Kondo was listed in the best 9 twice as a designated hitter and three times as an outfielder.




There is a brilliant record that follows Kondo. It's an on-base percentage. He ranked first in on-base percentage four times in 2019-2020 and 2023-2024. It is a possible record because there is an outstanding pioneer in sophisticated hitting. Kondo finished first on four pitches with 103 walks in 2019, 109 walks in 2023, and 92 walks in 2024. He had 810 walks in 5,138 at-bats until last year.

The game against the Rakuten Eagles was held at the Fukuoka Paypay Dome on the 2nd. No. 3-Kondo, a designated hitter, achieved a rare record. He walked five consecutive times from his first at-bat in the first inning. This is the most tie in a Pacific League game. A total of seven people, including Kondo, recorded it.

The highest number of walks in five consecutive at-bats, and two of them are full-count matches…To the opposing pitcher, he was an irritant
Kondo, who has been vacant due to injuries this season, is the center hitter, leading the team's recent rise. He hit a two-run home run in the first inning against Rakuten on the 1st. Photo capture = Softbank Hawks SNS
In the bottom of the first inning, with one out and runners on second base, Rakuten right-hander Miguel Yahoore entered the game to the high left-handed batter's out course. He threw a series of balls that slightly moved away from the strike zone. Kondo waited patiently. He walked straight.




At the bottom of the third inning with a 2-1 lead, he took the batter's box as the leadoff hitter. I watched two strikes on ball count 3B. 6th pitch from the full count did not respond to the outside high course attraction. Second walk. Leading hitter Kondo's on-base hit was an additional score. He dug home when he hit a sacrifice with the bases loaded with no outs. 3-1.

Kondo, who got on base with a straight walk in the bottom of the fourth inning, walked to four pitches in the bottom of the sixth inning. In his last at-bat in the bottom of the eighth inning, he got a walk after a full count match. After 2S, he played a close game and won a walk. With five at-bats, five walks and one point. To Rakuten pitchers, Kondo was too picky and annoying.

Kondo drew a walk at his last at-bat in the bottom of the seventh inning of the previous day (1st). He walked six consecutive at-bats over two games. Six consecutive walks in a game are the most in the NPB in the Central League. Hiromitsu Ochiai, a member of the Chunichi Dragons, achieved in the Yakult Swallows match on October 13, 1991
The highest number of walks in five consecutive at-bats, and two of them are full-count matches…To the opposing pitcher, he was an irritant
Kondo, who has long hitting and contact skills, has an excellent pioneering eye as the best hitter. Until last year, he ranked first in on-base percentage four times. Photo capture = Softbank Hawks SNS
All.

Meanwhile, SoftBank continued its scary momentum by beating Rakuten 5-2. Foreign hitter Jeter Downs hit a home run and scored two RBIs in two consecutive games. Starter Kohei Arihara won the game with two runs in six innings. SoftBank maintained its first place in one game with second-place Nippon Ham.





This article was translated by Naver AI translator.