Naoyuki Uwasawa declared himself reborn in mid-December.
In 2017, he was still getting back on track after an 2016 elbow injury. But that winter, newly married and with a new uniform number, trading in No. 63 for No. 15, the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters righty was ready for a new beginning in his fourth NPB season.
The new Uwasawa has coincided with a new era for the Fighters, one in which their best pitcher, Shohei Ohtani, is no longer theirs after his high-profile move to MLB and the Los Angeles Angels during the offseason.