His gaze turned toward the center of the field, on the pitcher's mound stood the setup pitcher just replaced for the Hanshin Tigers, a distinguished veteran who has served the team for 14 years, the 37-year-old Ando Yuuya.
Although a setup pitcher, Ando Yuuya, originally a starting pitcher, boasts a rich arsenal of pitches. In addition to his fastball which can reach speeds of up to 150km/h, he can skillfully deploy various breaking balls, including sliders, shooting balls, forkballs, and curveballs.
The rich variety of pitches, combined with his ability to precisely place the ball in the low inside corner of the strike zone for left-handed batters, and his textbook-perfect, graceful pitching form, make Ando Yuuya hold a significant position in the bullpen of the prestigious Hanshin Tigers, and he is one of the best setup pitchers in the Central League.
