"Japanese Job" fights from "Taiwan No. 1" to "Japan No. 1". Xu Ruoxi is on standby in the bullpen. The coach points out the advantages.

Xu Ruoxi. (File photo, provided by Nishi Nippon Shimbun)

[Reporter Ni Wanjun/Comprehensive Report] Three years ago, he helped Wei Quanlong win the "Taiwan No. 1". Now that Xu Ruoxi puts on the SoftBank Eagle jersey, she also has the opportunity to move towards the "Japan No. 1". SoftBank will play against Yokohama DeNA in the Japan Series starting on the 24th. Japanese media pointed out that Xu Ruoxi, who has the fastest ball speed of 158 kilometers, is expected to continue to be on standby in the bullpen and become an important force in the team's championship.

Xu Ruoxi played an important role in Wei Quan's championship in the 2023 Taiwan Competition. In the first game, he allowed 1 point and 4 strikeouts in the first 4 innings. The Dragons finally won 3:2 in 14 innings. By the time the Dragons fell into Game 6 with 2 wins and 3 losses in the series, Xu Ruoxi even pitched the masterpiece of his career, finishing 7 innings with 78 pitches, allowing only 1 hit, no walks, 7 strikeouts and no runs, helping the Dragons defeat Lotte Momomon 2:0 and forcefully lead the team into Game 7.

Please read on...

Wei Chuan then defeated Lotte 6:3 in G7 and won the first championship since re-establishing the team with 4 wins and 3 losses. It was also the fifth championship in team history. Hsu Ruoxi was selected as the MVP of the Taiwan Competition with two key starting performances.

Now in the first season of the Japanese professional league, Xu Ruoxi has entered the Japan Series with SoftBank. In the final round of the team's climactic series against Nippon Ham, he was on the roster for three games but did not board. The Japan Series is also expected to be on standby in the bullpen with Alexander Armenta, the Mexican left-hander with the fastest 159 kilometers. "Sponichi Annex" reported that Softbank pitching coach Shinji Kurano is also optimistic that the two can increase the strength of the bullpen, pointing out: "Having a pitcher with strong power and able to handle multiple innings in the bullpen is a big plus for the team."