Nippon-Ham’s Haruki Nishikawa Declares Staying Without Exercising Free Agency Rights, Aiming for 1500 Hits and 350 Stolen Bases Next Season

Key points

On November 5, 2026, Nippon-Ham outfielder Haruki Nishikawa (34) officially declared he would remain with the team by renewing his contract at his current annual salary of 20 million yen without exercising his free agency rights. This season, he returned to his former team Nippon-Ham after five years and appeared in 25 games, but his performance was lackluster with a batting average of .194, 1 home run, and 6 RBIs. Nishikawa has a history of four stolen base titles, two Best Nine awards, and four Golden Glove awards, and he expressed his ambition to achieve career milestones of 1500 hits and 350 stolen bases next season. [1] [2] [4]

Haruki Nishikawa's Contract Renewal and Declaration to Stay

On November 5, 2026, Haruki Nishikawa officially announced he would remain with Nippon-Ham without exercising his free agency rights and renewed his contract at his current annual salary of 20 million yen. At a press conference held at Escon Field Hokkaido, he expressed gratitude for the team's request for him to continue and showed strong determination to "devote his career to the Fighters." Despite his underwhelming performance this season, he spoke about his desire to meet the team's expectations. This was confirmed by Nippon-Ham's official announcement and Nishikawa's own statements on November 5, 2026. [1] [4]

Nishikawa stated, "Since I returned, I have been committed to devoting my career to the Fighters until the end," expressing appreciation for the team's offer to renew his contract. He also conveyed feelings of regret regarding his less-than-satisfactory performance. These remarks were made during the press conference at Escon Field Hokkaido on November 5, 2026. [4]

This Season's Performance and Return to the Team

In 2026, Nishikawa returned to his former team Nippon-Ham after five years and appeared in 25 games, recording a batting average of .194, 1 home run, and 6 RBIs, which were considered underwhelming. Prior to his return, he had been released by Yakult and had played for both Rakuten and Yakult before coming back to Nippon-Ham. These details were confirmed from the 2026 season statistics and transfer information. [1] [2] [3]

Nishikawa contributed to Nippon-Ham's league championship and Japan Series victory in 2016 and has earned four stolen base titles, two Best Nine awards, and four Golden Glove awards. After winning his third stolen base title in the 2021 offseason, he left the team and subsequently played for Rakuten and Yakult before returning to Nippon-Ham in 2026. These achievements and transfer history are verified from past award records and transfer information. [2]

Past Achievements and Ambitions for Next Season

Nishikawa was drafted second overall by Nippon-Ham in 2010 and established himself in the first team by 2012. In 2014, he played in all games and won the stolen base title. In 2016, he contributed to the league championship and Japan Series victory, posting strong statistics including a .314 batting average, 5 home runs, 43 RBIs, and 41 stolen bases. He also won the stolen base title in 2017, 2018, and 2021, and received multiple Best Nine and Golden Glove awards. After winning his third stolen base title in the 2021 offseason, he left the team and played for Rakuten and Yakult before returning to Nippon-Ham in 2026. These accomplishments are confirmed by Nippon-Ham's official announcements and historical records. [2]

Nishikawa has recorded a total of 1438 hits and 345 stolen bases in his career and expressed his ambition to reach the milestones of 1500 hits and 350 stolen bases next season. Since his return, he has also been working on modifying his batting form and aims to rebuild his hitting and improve in all aspects for the upcoming season. He has a strong attachment to his former team, stating, "I returned with the intention to devote my career here." These statements were made during his press conference on November 5, 2026. [1]