Yes. It's finally time. The newest chapter(50) screams it.

Too lazy to spell out all the reasons, but YES. Sawamura's making a serious drive for that ace number, people around him are recognizing it, and the narrative timing (only 3 months left to form an official battery with Miyuki, the importance of the summer tournaments, the fated rematch with Inashiro) practically scream that Sawamura should get that #1 by summer.

It's time. Kataoka took away all the jersey number, and that includes Furuya's. Katoaka will chose a new team as well as a new ace(hopefully).

Yes, I wish sawamura can get the ace number already. I just hope that Koushu wont be included in the 1st string yet this summer. Be like kanemaru and  toujo, who got in when the third year left. I do like him, just still have some feelings of dislike of his attitude towards eijun.( he still talk with a face like eijun is his enemy) I want him to see how hard it is to be choosen as a 1st string player. So that he can have more respect towards the 1st string player especially eijun who have been working hard and got his place in 1st string since 1st year. ;))

I'm rooting for sawamura to be the ace but as I could see and tell its not happening since the head coach had put mostly his faith to furuya even though he revoked the jersey numbers i could tell he was just challenging furuya to improves more...I seriously hate it...like what's the point of making the other pitcher hope when you had your eyes set to someone already...and I kinda hate seido 1st string as they suddenly focused on furuya more and forget sawamura not until he went to replaced furuya in the mound and stop the momentum of ichidai...then when suddenly sawamura decided to sit alone far away from them...I seriously hate it...when they suddenly feel sorry for forgetting about him...like the why? He's part of the team yet your all favors one pitcher who is furuya...I want sawamura to be in a new team where he could show his true potential without someone overshadowing him

I think the coach already saw the real potential as a new ace in eijun right now. He just kind off telling furuya to improve on his own power if he want to keep the ace position. He didnt put his fate in furuya alone. This time, he really want to chose players who deserve the jersey numbers and realize his own mistake for favouring furuya at that time just because furuya wrote the same dream as he did and forget about the real suitable candidate to stand on the mound instead to win their match. If he didnt read furuya's message i think he will choose eijun for starter. He just gave furuya a chance and at that time he kinda blank off. I dont think the first string feel sorry for eijun, instead they felt bad for playing badly in the match when eijun is doing his very best, they feel bad for failing to gain any more points for him when he is playing greatly. The person who forget about eijun at that time i think only miyuki and the coach, the rest only believe in the coach timing to switch in players, and they all seems like losing momentum at the time as furuya is playing very badly when the rival ace has been revived already. Right now, i still cannot tell who will get the ace number. My vote goes to eijun, as i think furuya might need more time to get back on track, while eijun keep on moving far foward.   

I think it is TIME where Sawamura become ace for seido. Why? Here is some of the reason :

1. the main reason why sawamura choose seido is because of miyuki and he wanted to be acknowledge by miyuki, since miyuki is already 3rd year, there will be no more time left for sawamura to gain acknowledgment.

2.Miyuki and kataoka has started to acknowledge sawamura. Not only them, i think most members now think sawamura is more reliable compare to furuya. (after ichidai match)

3.Furuya got kataoka message wrong. kataoka did said that on a good day or bad day, ace is someone who shoulder the hope and dreams of his teammates, regardless. but what furuya understand is kataoka saying that if he don't like his ace number being revoked, then he need to take it back with his ability, while sawamura understand kataoka message well.  Ace is someone who shoulder the dreams and hope of all teammates, including not starter member, especially 3rd year who has spend 3 year in baseball. (chapter 51, pg 15)

4. sawamura can hit better now, according to TJ interview, he said that batting from bunt stance is difficult and sawamura has done it nicely (a hint on how good is sawamura as batter) and we all know that he is bunt master.

5. Numbers, there is at least 11 pitches that sawamura has now, i dont think i need to explain why having a lot variety of pitches make a pitcher seem more deadly.

p/s

to the one who create this post, i hope you wont hate kataoka so much. but if somehow, after making sawamura as ace, and sawamura has shown a very good pitching, but then kataoka subtitute sawamura with furuya by giving any lame excuse, please do hate him. for me, i will find a way to change myself to 2D chara, and crawl my way to daiya no ace manga, just to smack kataoka so hard on his face, or better, just kill him,and disguise myself as kataoka.

Hell yeah I think this might be just really might be finally the time for sawamura to take that ace number. If not why would TJ bother to make this whole jersey number arc in the first place (hope he isn't trolling us though). It totally seems like everything has been prepared for this time, like sawamura numbers, miyuki graduation, sawamura tries to understand pitch calling, sawamura hitting at bat and some hint about his battery with koushuu. Well since furuya will also get some development, I try to not get my hopes up too high but I just can't. The thing is, this whole series starts when sawamura wants miyuki to catch his pitches and do the battery with him, and since miyuki only has 3 months left in the team it will seems so ridiculous if sawamura doesn't get the ace number. It will seems like TJ tries to shove furuya under my throat when I have enough of him.