I think my salary will increase three times The manager's affectionate support shooting, the annual salary of 92 million won → 1.04 billion won in three years after joining Nippon Ham, and the transfer changed his baseball life

Dec 04, 2025

Gunji made a breakthrough in his baseball career after moving from Chunichi in June 2023. Photo capture = Nippon-Ham Fighters SNS

Nihonham's utility player group. On the 3rd, he renewed his contract for an annual salary of 110 million yen, double that of this year. Starting next season, he will play with No. 3 jersey number. Photo capture = Nippon-Ham Fighters SNS

Nihonham foreign hitter Reyes. He ranked first in home runs and RBIs in the Pacific League this year. Photo capture = Nippon-Ham Fighters SNS

Park Byung-ho (39), who ended his career after this year, was reborn as a home run hitter with the Nexen Heroes. He joined the LG Twins in 2005. He couldn't meet the huge expectations and went up and down the first and second divisions. After being trapped in a promising player frame, he finally broke his eggs in July 2011 after changing into a Heroes uniform. In 2012, the year after the transfer, he hit more home runs than he had in the previous seven years. From 2014 to 2015, he hit 50 home runs for two consecutive years and experienced Major League Baseball. 1,554 hits - 418 homers - 1,244 RBIs in total. Park Byung-ho has now entered the leadership path. His baseball career is divided into before and after the Heroes.

Lee Jeok also opens up a new world.

Gunji Yuya (28) of the Nippon Ham Fighters renewed his contract for an annual salary of 110 million yen (about 1.04 billion won) on the 3rd. Since the club does not officially announce the amount, it is an estimated amount by the media. He doubled from his annual salary of 55 million yen this year. In his seventh year as a professional, he reached an annual salary of 100 million yen. The symbolic meaning of 100 million yen is great. Gunji thanked the club, saying, `After becoming a baseball player, I got the salary I aimed for.' For him, an annual salary of 100 million yen was his first goal of success as a professional baseball player.

Coach Tsuyoshi Shinjo cited Gunji as one of the three players to lead the team this year, along with ace Ito Hiromi and foreign hitter Franmil Reyes. Earlier "The Gunji's salary is likely to triple this year." and fired back with a lot of affection.

Gunji thanked me for mentioning my name alongside the two players. Next year, I want to improve my performance to the point where I can stand shoulder to shoulder with the two players"

Nippon Ham finished last in the Pacific League for the second consecutive year from 2022-2023 and rebounded to second place for the second consecutive year from 2024-2025. This year, he did well by winning three games in the final stage of the Climax Series with No. 1 Softbank.

Nihonham ace Ito. He won the Sawamura Award after winning the most wins this season. Photo capture = Nippon-Ham Fighters SNS

Ito is the best pitcher to win the Pacific League multiple wins (14 wins) and strikeouts (195) this year and win the Sawamura Award. Reyes exploded in the lineup. In his second year, he ranked first in homers (32), RBIs (90), and OPS (0.861). This shows how highly coach Shinjo views the presence of utility player Gunji.

He played in 111 games this season and posted 108 hits in 364 at-bats, a batting average of 0.297, 10 homers and 42 RBIs. He ranked third in hits, fourth in RBIs, and fifth in homers in the team. No matter how extreme 'go-taser' league is, it is hard to see it as a special performance. This year, he didn't even meet the regulation.

However, he played a strong impact beyond his performance. He hit .319 with runners in scoring position. When the team was in trouble, it opened the way by changing the flow with one shot. He plays various positions with the catcher's main position. Coach Shinjo left him "No matter where he was, he defended comfortably. There is a reason why he praised it as "I did my part in any batting order."

This year, he started as a catcher as well as first baseman, third baseman and left fielder. From 1 to 8, I entered the batting order except for 9 times. I performed the necessary roles for the team flexibly. He is an all-around player that the head coach has no choice but to like.

Coach Shinjo appointed Gunji as the fourth batter of the opening game of next season with Softbank. Early on, he announced that he would start as a fourth-third baseman. He hit .197 against Softbank this year. The Japan Series was different. He had six hits and five RBIs in his last four games.

Gunji was traded from the Chunichi Dragons to Nippon Ham in June 2023. That year, he played one game for Chunichi and changed his uniform. 신조

Shinsho coach hauls with players in front of the dugout after the game. Photo capture = Nippon-Ham Fighters SNS

In the middle of his second year as a manager, he joined Nippon Ham and became a central hitter. He had 24 hits without a home run in three-and-a-half years with Chunichi, where he hit 43 hits-3 homers in 55 games since moving to the club in 2023.

In 2024, the year after the transfer, he filled the regulation at-bats for the first time. 113 hits - 12 homers - 52 RBIs. Shinjo and the Fighters opened the door wide for him.

The annual salary during the Chunichi period in 2023 is 9.75 million yen (about 92 million won). In three years, the salary has increased tenfold. He said he wanted to be a hitter whom his opponent didn't like.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.