Hiroto Fuku

At the press conference for the unveiling of the new draftees, it was announced that Fuku would be presented with the number 34 previously worn by the long-serving, 217 win taking pitcher, Masahiro Yamamoto.

[2] At the conference, Fuku promised that "the responsibility of carrying on the legacy of a number worn by such a legend as Yamamoto is heavy but I don't think of that as a minus, rather is spurs me on to go out and do it.

"[1] At the conference Fuku was asked in a playful way whether he would give an impression of his time working with JR, and he replied with "This is a call for customers riding the express train to Hakata.

[5] Fuku registered his first win against the Yomiuri Giants at the Tokyo Dome on May 7, 2016, as a reliever following starter Drew Naylor's withdrawal with injury.

[8] On July 19, 2018, after the trade of southpaw reliever, Ryuya Ogawa to the Saitama Seibu Lions, Fuku was reinstated to the full-time roster and reassigned the 34.