Japan's professional baseball draft will be held in Tokyo on the afternoon of October 22, starting at 4:50 p.m., according to 読売新聞. As of 7 p.m. on October 21, not a single club had made its first-round selection public — the first time in 13 years that no team has done so, the newspaper reports.
The unusual silence sets up a draft in which several highly rated amateurs are expected to attract bids from more than one club. Among them are Yosei Kodama, the two-way star from Yamanashi Gakuin High School, and the Aoyama Gakuin University pitcher-catcher pair, 読売新聞 reports.
Why it matters
Under Nippon Professional Baseball's draft rules, when two or more clubs name the same player in the first round, the winner is decided by lottery. Clubs usually announce their top choice in advance, partly to avoid losing the draw and partly as a courtesy to the player and his school. With every team keeping quiet this year, the first round could produce an unusually long series of contested picks.
The last time no club disclosed its first-round pick was 13 years ago, according to 読売新聞.
Kodama draws attention after Oda's MLB decision
Kodama, listed at 195 centimeters and 102 kilograms, throws fastballs above 150 kilometers per hour and has hit more than 30 home runs over his high school career, 読売新聞 reports. The paper describes him as a rare high-school talent who excels both on the mound and at the plate.
His profile has grown since another top high-school pitcher, Shoki Oda of Yokohama High School, declared on October 15 that he intends to pursue a career in Major League Baseball, according to 読売新聞. Oda's announcement removed him from consideration by NPB clubs and shifted attention toward Kodama.
College arms and catchers in the mix
Aoyama Gakuin University ace Taisei Suzuki is a power right-hander whose loose delivery produces fastballs over 150 kilometers per hour, 読売新聞 reports. Catcher Umi Watanabe, the team captain, has started behind the plate since his first year and helped the university to six straight league titles in the Tokyo Big6 competition, the paper reports. His hitting in pressure situations is also highly regarded.
This year's class is deep in pitchers, and 読売新聞 reports that clubs are likely to keep maneuvering until the draft begins. Keito Kawajiri of Aoyama Gakuin's rival Aoyama — no, of Asia University — saw his standing rise sharply after throwing a no-hitter in the Tokyo Big6 fall league, the first in 22 years, according to the paper.
Two right-handers, Futato Kakuda of Fuji University and Ren Miyahara of Kinki University, are seen as ready to contribute immediately because of the strength of their fastballs, 読売新聞 reports. Among left-handers, Yuto Yonezawa of Kansai University is noted for his polish.
One question mark hangs over Kazuto Watanabe of Keio University, who left a game on October 19 with discomfort in his left shoulder, according to 読売新聞. How that affects his draft position is unclear.
High-school pitchers and power bats
The high-school group also includes Yudai Maeda of Takaoka Daiichi High School in Toyama, a left-hander who has been clocked at 156 kilometers per hour and has played for Japan's under-18 national team, 読売新聞 reports. Reito Hirata of Oita Commercial High School, a tall right-hander with a fastball above 150 kilometers per hour, led his team to the summer national championship tournament at Koshien for the first time in 13 years, the paper reports.
Hitting prospects are also drawing interest because the Central League will adopt the designated hitter rule starting next season, according to 読売新聞. Outfielder Nanato Sakakibara of Meiji University, known for his strong arm and power, is considered a first-round candidate. Haruyama Yoto of Osaka University of Commerce, a right-handed slugger, broke a Kansai Six Universities League home run record that had stood for 34 years, the paper reports.
What to watch
The draft begins at 4:50 p.m. on October 22, and the first round will show which clubs were willing to risk a lottery — and which players end up in more than one team's plans.
