Softbank Hawks outfielder Kensuke Kondo (32) has been selected as the Pacific League Batter of the Month for March and April, earning the Daiki Life Monthly MVP Award for the fourth time in his career and the first since June 2024.
In 26 games during March and April, Kondo recorded 26 hits in 89 at-bats for a .292 batting average, ranking second in the league with six home runs and tying for first with 19 RBIs. His .562 slugging percentage led the league. He also put together an 11-game hitting streak from April 4 to 17. Primarily batting second, Kondo powered the Hawks’ lineup.
On April 9 against the Seibu Lions at Mizuho PayPay Dome, with the game scoreless in the seventh inning, Kondo launched a go-ahead two-run homer off Seibu reliever Ramirez, his fourth of the season, earning his first hero interview of the year.
Last season, Kondo struggled with lower back tightness during spring training and was removed from the active roster on March 31 after playing in the opening three-game series. On April 2, he underwent a full-endoscopic discectomy for a lateral lumbar disc herniation at a hospital in Hyogo Prefecture, returning to action only in late May. This spring, he went 0-for-13 in the World Baseball Classic but adjusted well once the regular season began.
This season, Kondo has started all 36 games for the team through the May 12 contest against Seibu, showing consistent health and energy.
