Gurazeni: Money Pitch

Gurazeni: Money Pitch (グラゼニ), also known as Money Diamond, is a Japanese baseball manga series written by Yūji Moritaka and illustrated by Keiji Adachi. The manga was serialized in Kodansha's *Morning* magazine and has spawned several sequels. The story centers on Natsunosuke Bonda, a left-handed relief pitcher, and explores his experiences in the money-and-statistics-driven world of professional baseball. Similar to *Moneyball*, but from the perspective of the players, the series delves into the professional careers and workplace dynamics of athletes. The anime adaptation, produced by Studio Deen, has 24 episodes and aired in 2018. The fictional teams in the series, such as Bonda's Jingu Spiders, are based on real teams in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), particularly the Central League. The series highlights how players' salaries directly correlate with their performance, driving Bonda to constantly improve his value. It also delves into the lives of other baseball players and retired players who become commentators.