improved performance in the minors early in the season finally earned him a spot in the main squad in a match against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp on May 8. He recorded his first official hit as a pro on May 9, but when he went hitless in the next matches, he got sent back to the farm on May 15. He continued to perform well in Western League games, and even got selected as the League MVP of the Month in July. In all his 94-game appearances, he recorded an average of .290 with 9 home runs and 40 RBIs, and was named the Western League's MVP of the season. 2016 Nakatani spent the earlier half of the 2016 season in the farm, where new batting coach and Tigers legend Masayuki Kakefu helped him undergo training to improve his batting form. His efforts paid off when he got called to play with the main squad in June. He recorded his first career RBI on June 19, and his first career home run a few days after. His appearances gradually increased until October, mostly as a center fielder or as a pinch hitter, and he finished the season with 14 RBIs, 4 home runs and a batting average of .266 in 64 games. 2017 Nakatani had a shaky start early in the 2017 season as he competed with young guns Shun Takayama and Fumihito Haraguchi for regular playing time in the outfield or at first base. His breakout performance started in May when he went on a hitting spree and reached 5 home runs by the 3rd week. He was rewarded by being assigned the clean up spot for the first time in a May 28 match against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, and continued to be a regular starting player in the next couple of months. He went 5-for-5 against the Saitama Seibu Lions on June 15, and recorded two hits and two RBIs including a two-run home run against Yomiuri on July 9. This earned him the Sanspo Excellent Player Award for his performance during the Sanspo's Hanshin Tigers Gekirei Series (June 13 to July 12). By July 23, he was leading the team in home runs batted in (10 HRs). He continued to hit well, and even hit home runs in 3 consecutive matches against the Tokyo Yakult Swallows on August 22. In a September 18 match against the