Post-draft reports from 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015
New manager, same excitement on Draft Day, which was October 20 this year. Freshly-minted (though retread and 64 years old) manager Akinobu Okada did not divulge which young man he would aim to acquire in the first round, though nine NPB teams did in the days leading up to the draft.
The Tigers have presumably not yet finished cutting players, but so far, OF Yoshio Itoi announced his retirement. Also, RHP Koki Moriya, RHP Yuya Onaka, RHP Taiki Ono, and RHP Joichiro Maki have been cut. Also, RHP Yukiya Saitoh and OF Taiga Egoshi were traded to the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in exchange for infielders Yuto Takahama and Ryo Watanabe. So although some vacancies have been created on the roster, it was still difficult to project exactly who would catch the new manager’s eyes for 2023 and beyond.
Very few players were part of a lottery, as just two players were selected by two teams each in the first round. The Eagles beat out the Marines for a pitcher, and the Giants went up against the Tigers for the rights to high school slugger Shogo Asano. Unfortunately, we lost as Hara chose the winning ballot before Okada even drew the blank ballot out of the box. So we took this guy with our first pick…
Round 1 – Shota Morishita (森下 翔太)
From: Kanagawa Prefecture
Date of Birth: August 14, 2000
Drafted Out of: Chuo University (Tokyo)
High School: Tokai Dai Sagami High (Kanagawa)
Position: Outfielder
Height: 182 cm (6’0″)
Weight: 90 kg (198 lbs)
Throws/Bats: Right/Right
About Morishita: This slugging outfielder has all the tools and very strong wrists that enable him to hit home runs. He’s not just a hitter, though, boasting a good arm and wheels as well. Some say in university, he was better than Shugo Maki. He was even chosen for the all-Japan team in his freshman year, though he struggled through his sophomore year. He was projected to be a high draft pick even back then, and returned to his normal self in the spring of his senior year. He has played center before but spent most of his time in right field. As a high schooler, he hit 57 home runs and was a workhorse, even drawing attention from major league scouts.
Morishita’s Comments: To be honest, I am surprised at how high I got selected. I am really happy and hope to live up to the expectations that come with being a first-round pick. I’m just going to be myself out there.”
Round 2 – Keito Mombetsu (門別 啓人)
From: Hokkaido Prefecture
Date of Birth: July 10, 2004
Drafted Out of: Tokai Dai Sapporo High (Hokkaido)
Position: Pitcher
Height: 183 cm (6’0″)
Weight: 86 kg (189 lbs)
Throws/Bats: Left/Left
About Monbetsu: This lefty maxes out at 150 km/h (93 mph) and also boasts a slider and two-seamer, all with a smooth pitching form. His fastball cuts left, which helps his offspeed pitches to play well off of it, and he racks up strikeouts with an aggressive approach. He played for the Nippon-Ham FIghters Junior team and represented Hokkaido in the under-14 tournament in junior high. Though he injured his leg in the summer of his junior year, he recovered by the fall and threw a complete-game three-hitter (1 run, no walks, 12 strikeouts) against Shirakaba Gakuen. He was already throwing 150 km/h in the winter of his junior year, but suffered from poor health in the spring of his senior year and lost 7 kilograms. Nevertheless, in the summer of his senior year, he threw a complete game shutout with 14 strikeouts despite maxing out at 144 km/h.
Round 3 – Hinase Itsubo (井坪 陽生)
From: Tokyo Prefecture
Date of Birth: March 17, 2005
Drafted Out of: Kanto Daiichi High (Tokyo)
Position: Outfielder
Height: 177 cm (5’10”)
Weight: 86 kg (190 lbs)
Throws/Bats: Right/Right
About Itsubo: He hit 32 home runs in high school and has a good contact rate. He is also fast on the base paths and a good defender. He batted in the three-slot on the under-15 All-Japan team and cleanup for his high school from the fall of his first year. He is a crafty hitter who blossomed after he started to use Shugo Maki’s form as his model. His true coming-out party was in the spring of his senior year. He runs 50 meters in 6.0 seconds, which is fast, but he does not steal many bases. He has a strong arm and when he pitched, he threw up to 144 km/h (90 mph).
Round 4 – Hidetoshi Ibaragi (茨木 秀俊)
From: Hokkaido Prefecture
Date of Birth: June 8, 2004
Drafted Out of: Teikyo Nagaoka High (Niigata)
Position: Pitcher
Height: 182 cm (6’0″)
Weight: 85 kg (187 lbs)
Throws/Bats: Right/Right
About Ibaragi: His form is sleek, his fastball has good movement on it, and he locates his offspeed stuff low in the zone. His fastball tops out at 147 km/h (92 mph) but is a heavy ball. His command of the lower part of the zone on his slider and changeup are his strength. He snaps his arm sharply, creating good spin on his fastball, which is probably his strongest point. Though he ended the spring of his senior year poorly, in the summer he started five of his school’s six games, throwing 39 ⅔ innings with a 0.68 ERA. His team lost in extras in the prefectural finals to Nihon Bunri, but he went the distance (10 ⅔ IP 6 H 8 K 4 BB 2 R).
Round 5 – Reiji Toi (戸井 零士)
From: Osaka Prefecture
Date of Birth: January 18, 2005
Drafted Out of: Tenri High (Nara)
Position: Infielder
Height: 181 cm (5’11”)
Weight: 83 kg (183 lbs)
Throws/Bats: Right/Right
About Toi: He has the potential to be a generational talent at shortstop with his strong arm and excellent batting sense. He hit 13 home runs in high school, running the 50-meter dash in 6.5 seconds and being able to throw the ball 100 meters. He is not flashy on defense but makes plays well. He has a smooth swing and good contact rate. He grew up a Hanshin fan and his goal is to be like Hideto Asamura. In elementary school, he represented Japan, in junior high, he represented Kansai, and in high school he played second and third base. He showed off his power in the spring Koshien tournament and has a well-balanced approach, making him a point of interest in this draft.
Round 6 – Ren Tomida (富田 蓮)
From: Gifu Prefecture
Date of Birth: September 6, 2001
Drafted Out of: Mitsubishi Motors Okazaki (Aichi)
High School: Ogaki Commercial High (Gifu)
Position: Pitcher
Height: 174 cm (5’9″)
Weight: 78 kg (172 lbs)
Throws/Bats: Left/Left
About Tomida: This southpaw has good spin and a decent whiff rate on his fastball, which sits around 140 km/h. He’s had a highly-regarded slider since his high school years, and racked up a lot of strikeouts in the industrial league as he improved his fastball. He also has a good changeup that plays well against right-handed hitters. Last year he was mainly used in relief. That said, he threw a complete-game as a starter this season and has stamina. He hopes to become like Shota Imanaga of the Baystars.
Development Draft Round 1 – Kyosuke Noguchi (野口 恭佑)
From: Nagasaki Prefecture
Date of Birth: July 17, 2000
Drafted Out of: Kyushu Sangyo Univ. (Fukuoka)
High School: Sohseikan High (Nagasaki)
Position: Outfielder
Height: 180 cm (5’11”)
Weight: 88 kg (194 lbs)
Throws/Bats: Right/Right
About Noguchi: He runs the 50m in 6.0 seconds and can throw 100 meters. He is extremely good at making contact with the ball and should hit for a decent average. He is selective at the plate, too. In the spring of his fourth year of university, he averaged .356 with two home runs, 5 RBI, 8 walks/HBP. He was selected to represent Japan on the university team in his sophomore year, but because of the pandemic, was unable to attend camp. He got injured in the spring of his junior year and did not perform well in the fall. He idolizes Mike Trout. He is hoping to develop his contact ability, his power, his speed, his defense, and his throwing.
In all honesty, I know even less than what I wrote here about these guys. I have not watched any video on them (yet), but am excited that we got some good new young blood into the fold.
Welcome to Hanshin, young men! If you want to learn English, H-TEN’s at your service!