The TV program “プロ野球戦力外通告” (Pro Baseball Roster Cuts) has become a year-end tradition in Japan. Players taking on tryouts, families struggling, and the harsh reality. Every year, I watch with a heavy heart, but this year it felt especially personal.
That’s because I sense the era of “roster cuts” is quietly but surely approaching the world of software engineers. The trigger? “AI,” which evolved even further in 2025.
The Arrival of AI as “Judge”
From 2023 to 2024, generative AI significantly changed how we work. From generating simple code snippets to creating documentation and auto-generating test code, AI has become an indispensable partner in development.
So what happened in 2025? AI evolved from “assistant” to “player,” or even closer to “manager.” Specifically, we saw the following advances:
- Consistent support from requirements definition to implementation: AI proposes and generates everything from vague natural language requirements to specific designs, code, tests, and deployment configurations.
- Autonomous refactoring and bug fixes: Rather than just pointing out problems like static analysis tools, AI now fixes code itself and creates pull requests.
- Advanced project management support: Analyzing development progress in real-time, identifying bottlenecks, and proposing resource reallocation.
With these developments, the value of humans who simply write code as instructed—mere “coders”—unfortunately must significantly decline.
Who Will Receive “Engineer Roster Cuts”?
So what kind of engineers will be deemed “cut from the roster” in 2026 and beyond? It mirrors the baseball world where “one-trick players can no longer survive.”
- Engineers who can’t read the “manager’s intentions”: Those who only focus on writing the code in front of them without trying to understand “why” a feature is needed or what value it provides to the business and users.
- Engineers who can’t “play as a team”: Because AI increases individual productivity, the importance of soft skills—advanced human communication, discussion, and decision-making—grows even more. Neglecting this will get you labeled as someone who drags down team productivity.
- Engineers who can’t use “new tools”: Those who reject the revolutionary tool that is AI out of prejudice or keep it at arm’s length as a threat. This is like a player refusing to use the latest bats and gloves.
Staying a “First-String Engineer” in the AI Era
How can we avoid being “cut” and continue performing on the front lines? It comes down to viewing AI not as a “judge” or “rival,” but as the best “coach” or “teammate,” and redefining our own value.
- Become a “commander” who masters AI: Develop the ability to think about what tasks to delegate to AI for maximum productivity and give precise instructions (prompts). Let AI handle simple tasks while humans focus on more creative and strategic work.
- Hone your problem-finding and solving abilities: Even if AI can propose “what to build,” discovering the most important question—“what problem should be solved”—is a human role. Deepening domain knowledge, empathizing with user pain points, and finding essential problems will be the core competency of future engineers.
- Become a “translator” of technology: Stand between people with different expertise—engineers, designers, product managers, executives—and clearly explain technical options and their business impact to facilitate consensus. This “translation” ability is something AI can never replicate.
- Be a constant “explorer” who keeps learning: This has always been true, but its importance increases as the pace of change accelerates. Maintaining an antenna and continually learning about not just specific technologies, but architecture, software engineering, team building, and AI itself is essential.
Conclusion
The stories of players depicted in “Pro Baseball Roster Cuts” are always heartbreaking to watch. However, many of them powerfully start new lives in paths outside of baseball.
For us engineers, “roster cuts” don’t mean the end of our careers either. Rather, we should perhaps see it as a “starting gun” to reevaluate our old ways and be reborn as engineers for a new era.
2026 has begun. To ride the overwhelming wave of change that is AI and seize our future with our own hands—why not take this moment to calmly reassess your own “capabilities” and think about your next move?
That’s all from the Gemba, reflecting on “Engineer Roster Cuts” after watching “Pro Baseball Roster Cuts 2025.”
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