It is said that there is a legendary catcher who can turn any pitcher he forms a battery with into a star. But this catcher requires something in return—the pitcher's soul. That is why the catcher is also known as the Grim Reaper. The pitcher will throw his soul into each pitch until that pitcher dies. But for down-on-his-luck pitcher Ryo Arakami, this may be the deal he was looking for after all! As a part of the JUMP START initiative, the first three chapters of Buddy Strike were published in English in VIZ Media's digital Weekly Shonen Jump.