On this episode of Pacific Swings, Kaima Taira, the Seibu Lions ace opens up about his unconventional path from a six-player high school team to becoming Japan’s most dominant relief pitcher
When Kaima Taira steps onto the mound at the Belluna Dome, opposing hitters know they’re in for a battle. With a career 1.88 ERA across seven NPB seasons and a fastball that consistently hits triple digits, the Seibu Lions closer has established himself as one of Japan’s most feared relievers.
But Taira’s journey to baseball stardom began in the most humble of circumstances on the island of Okinawa, where his love for the game started with an unlikely position choice.
The Catcher Who Became a Closer
“I started playing baseball as a catcher first time”, Taira revealed in a recent interview on the Pacific Swings podcast, his first-ever English-language interview. “Because I’m big and fat.”
That self-deprecating humor masks an incredible transformation. Growing up in Okinawa as a fan of the Chiba Lotte Marines, who held spring training on his home island, Taira’s baseball dreams seemed unlikely to materialize when his middle school team consisted of just six players.
“My team only six people in my school”, he explained. “So I had to play as a pitcher.”
That necessity became his calling. What started as filling a roster spot evolved into mastering one of baseball’s most demanding positions.
The Art of the Slide Step
Ask any hitter who has faced Taira about their experience, and they’ll likely mention his devastating slide step—a quick, compact leg lift that gives batters almost no time to react. “He just picks his leg up and it just slides forward and you got no time”, said David MacKinnon, a former Lions teammate who faced Taira in spring training. “He punched me out on like four pitches.”
The technique wasn’t always part of Taira’s arsenal. “Back in high school, he was still doing leg kick stuff,” MacKinnon noted. But when Taira’s high school coach suggested the slide step would improve his mechanics, everything changed.
“After his coach told him that, he just noticed that hitters had a hard time getting the good timing down,” MacKinnon explained. “So he just kept doing it. Even in pros, it’s working.”
The Closer’s Mentality
Perhaps what’s most striking about Taira is his remarkably relaxed approach to one of baseball’s highest-pressure roles. When asked about his daily preparation as a closer, his response was refreshingly honest. “Actually, I don’t need prepare for pitching,” Taira said. “The bullpen guy responds to a phone call, and then you’re next.”
That casual attitude belies the intensity he brings when called upon. Armed with seven different pitches—including his favorite cutter, which he prizes for its movement—Taira has become the pitcher Lions fans hope to see when the game is on the line. “I’m trying not to focus too much”, he said about handling high-pressure situations. “I’m trying to just relax and try to focus, throw hard, especially four-seam. Try not to think too much.”
Life Beyond Baseball
When the season ends, Taira returns to his Okinawan roots, spending time fishing in the island’s “beautiful sea” and working on his golf game—though he admits with characteristic humor that his golf needs work.
“Three years ago my score was 110. Now, 108, 109,” he said, celebrating his modest two-stroke improvement.
As a new father to a nine-month-old who has recently started walking, Taira’s off-season priorities have shifted. “He has a kid now, so he doesn’t really have time for gaming as much,” MacKinnon noted. “No time, no sleep.”
Chasing 170
Despite his success, Taira continues to push boundaries. His YouTube channel documents his quest to throw 170 kilometers per hour (roughly 105 mph), a goal that would place him among the hardest throwers in baseball history.
“I would say I’m at 90% of the goal, so now I’m going to chase the rest of the 10%,” he said. “That 10% is really hard.”
It’s that final margin—the difference between very good and historically great—that drives elite athletes. For Taira, who has already established himself as one of NPB’s premier closers, the pursuit of 170 kph represents the ultimate challenge.
A New Voice in Baseball
Perhaps most impressively, Taira conducted his entire Pacific Swings interview in English—a first for the typically reserved pitcher. His willingness to step outside his comfort zone, both linguistically and personally, offers fans a rare glimpse into the mind of one of Japan’s most dominant players.
From a overweight catcher on a six-player team to a sub-2.00 ERA closer chasing velocity records, Kaima Taira’s story embodies the unexpected paths that can lead to greatness. And if his relaxed confidence is any indication, the best may be yet to come.
“When you’re that good, doesn’t matter,” MacKinnon observed. “You have to just get off the couch when your name’s called and say, ‘I’m going to slide step and you’re going to not be able to hit me.’”
For Kaima Taira, it really is that simple.
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