Haruichi is a second baseman for the team and a naturally gifted all-rounder, though he's best known for his exceptional batting control—he can place hits exactly where he wants them despite his small, fragile frame. His defensive skills are equally impressive; he can catch fly balls mid-air and throw while still airborne, which is pretty ridiculous. What really sets him apart is his baseball instinct. He reads plays faster than almost anyone, deciding in a split second where to hit, what to watch for, and when to steal a base. Fans often note that his overall ability actually surpasses his older brother Ryousuke's, even though Ryousuke is the established first-string starter at the same position. The one thing holding him back is stamina, which he's actively working to improve.
From Kanagawa Prefecture, Haruichi is quiet and composed—the straight man to Sawamura Eijun's goofiness. He has a habit of bluntly pointing things out and will casually praise either Eijun or Furuya, which immediately sets them competing against each other. As a reserve player, he sometimes feels left out watching the two of them actually play in matches, which gets to him more than he'd admit.
He's noticeably small for his age and has been told he looks kind of feminine, which embarrasses him, especially when people compliment him. His relationship with Ryousuke is complicated—they're rivals for the same position, and there's definite tension there. Still, he admires his brother deeply and aims to eventually take his starting spot. It wasn't always this way though; when they were kids, Ryousuke would look out for him and protect him from bullies. Now Haruichi's quietly ambitious in a way that keeps them at arm's length.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
