an analysis on the clutch players of daiya; a thread

i was thinking abt sanada and his clutch style and that’s what got me making this thread.

clutch players aren’t a stranger to sports. it’s definitely not an imaginary concept.

a clutch player is someone who performs well under extreme or high pressure situations. we see them time and time again in daiya but it’s not an imaginary concept. clutch players are actually real.

however what’s interesting is that the players in daiya have very different reasons for performing so well under pressure. most of the time this is shown during the at-bats however it can be shown in pitching as well.

so i decided to write on my thoughts as to why these players are clutch.

to be clutch you have to effectively use your skill when backed against a wall.

eijun:

our dear MC has been typecast as a clutch player from the very first time we saw him pitching in middle school.

although it didn’t work out well due to his lack of proper training and his team’s abundant weaknesses, what that opening scene showed us was the very basis for his clutch ability; his fearlessness.

eijun’s fearlessness was part of the reason why he was such an effective relief pitcher and why he was entrusted to important situations even in his first year. his fearlessness combined with the desire to perform well is what sharpens his focus in these particular moments

eijun’s pitching in numerous games has more than proven how clutch he is. tho overtime this fearlessness erodes around the edges into a strong confidence backed by real skill and mastery of his craft.

miyuki:

kazuya’s clutch ability is quite interesting. it used to only really apply while there was someone on base but it’s become stronger now. the reason for his clutch performances is quite hard to pin down.

if i could make a guess i would say it’s his high analytical skills backed with his baseball genius both in baseball intelligence and performance. that would be the general trend over the series, however as the seiko game proved, its become more than that.

that was the best illustration of his clutch ability evolving from assessment to responsibility; the best example of his growth. his captaincy has a huge part in that.

tetsu:

yuuki is the OG clutch player. no ones ever really called him a genius if i can remember correctly, but his skill is almost akin to a genius. however that’s the product of raw hard work.

his clutch ability is directly linked to his skill and his emotional stability during his at-bat. it’s sounds simple but it’s difficult to execute. there’s a reason we rarely (if ever) see what’s going on in his head while he’s at-bat like we do with the other players in seido.

it’s complete focus and resolve; just like a pillar. those two foundations explain his clutch performances.

sanada:

our yakushi ace has a bit of a complex reasoning for his clutch ability. we know that before he wasn’t really serious with his baseball. as a result he was behind other pitchers in terms of his commitment coming to fruition in games.

let’s make it clear, sanada is not a genius, probably one of the furthest pitchers from it. so then why is he able to play clutch?

firstly i believe it’s firmly attached to his challenger instincts. there have been several instances where raizou informs sanada that the situation they’re in is make or break and it’s up to him to push the team thru.

sanada feels the pressure and knows what’s at stake. instead of crumbling, he rises to the challenge and is thrilled by it both on the mound and at-bat.

the first reason is connected to the second reason. although the first reason can stand on its own.

sanada is fascinated abt going up against strong teams. yakushi was always the underdog, so he has this inner desire to test his strengths against the best of the best and see how far it takes him.

that it is linked to his desire for a challenge that i don’t think would have come out had the team not been reformed.

umemiya:

umemiya is clutch is found in the challenger of sanada and the fearlessness of eijun. his talent is turning situations around and the reason he kept strong teams on their toes.

however the reason he never saw his clutch ability really lead to a win against stronger teams is because his performances could not be backed up by the rest of the team. as tj usually said the b-side teams (as i like to call them - teams outside tokyo’s top 4)

he only places one extremely good player otherwise they would be too hard to beat.

conclusion: as u can see, these clutch players ahve very different play styles and very different reasons as to why they are able to perform so well under pressure. i hope u enjoyed

side note: i was thinking abt adding mei but i wouldnt really describe him as clutch per se. rather, hes an immovable wall.

as opposed to “taking it up a notch” common in clutch players in high pressure situations, he pitches like he usually does and that pitching is stellar. you could say that might be the essence of clutch playing. i think think of it as stable pitching at mei’s level.