As spring training camps for the 12 Japanese pro baseball teams opened on Saturday, let's take a look at a couple of young players on the verge of becoming two of the best in the Central League; Hiroshima Carp outfielder Yoshihiro Maru and Yokohama BayStars infielder Takayuki Kajitani.
The 24-year-old Maru, a speedster playing center field, led the CL in 2013 with five triples and 29 stolen bases. He also belted 14 home runs and drove in 58 without the advantage of hitting among Hiroshima's "cleanup trio," the third, fourth and fifth batters.
Though he batted only .273, that average led Carp players with enough at-bats to qualify for listing among league leaders. Hiroshima manager Kenjiro Nomura last fall said there is no doubt Maru was a big reason why his team was able to finish in third place and appear for the first time in the CL Climax Series.
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