Sports · Baseball · 6 hrs ago
Japanese baseball draft set to feature several highly sought players
Japan’s professional baseball draft takes place in Tokyo on Thursday, with the meeting scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.
Teams select eligible high school, university and other players, then gain the right to negotiate with those they pick.
When teams choose the same player first, a lottery decides which one gets that right.
Aoba University catcher Kai Watanabe could draw four teams, while Yamanashi Gakuin’s Komoda Haruki and Aoba University pitcher Taisei Suzuki may each draw three, according to a prediction.
High school pitcher Shoki Oda has said he wants to pursue baseball in the United States, but Japanese teams can still select him because he filed the required declaration.
This year’s first-round choices have not been publicly announced, adding uncertainty to the selections.
The teams’ picks and any resulting negotiations will determine where eligible players begin their professional careers.
Japan’s 2026 professional baseball draft is scheduled for October 22, with the meeting set to begin at 5 p.m. in Tokyo.
Aoba Gakuin University catcher Kai Watanabe, Yamanashi Gakuin pitcher Yoiki Komoda and Aoba Gakuin pitcher Taisei Suzuki are among the most sought-after prospects.
A newspaper forecast cited by Nikkan Sports projected that Watanabe could draw four first-round bids, while Komoda and Suzuki could each draw three.
Yokohama pitcher Shoki Oda has said he intends to pursue a career in the United States, but Japanese teams are still allowed to select him.
The draft’s eligible players include 276 high school and university players who submitted declarations of eligibility, as well as eligible social and independent-league players.
- Who
- Japanese professional baseball teams and eligible players.
- What
- The 2026 professional baseball draft meeting, where teams select players and compete for negotiating rights.
- When
- October 22, 2026, from 5 p.m. The broadcast is scheduled to begin at 4:40 p.m.
- Where
- Tokyo. The specific venue is Not stated.
- Why
- The draft assigns teams negotiating rights to eligible players. It was introduced to curb bidding wars and reduce gaps in team strength.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Japan held its first draft meeting at the Nissei Kaikan in Hibiya, Tokyo.
TBS is scheduled to begin broadcasting the draft meeting.
The 2026 professional baseball draft meeting is scheduled to begin in Tokyo.
- Draft date
- October 22, 2026
- Meeting start
- 5 p.m.
- Broadcast start
- 4:40 p.m. on TBS
- Eligible high school and university players
- 276 total: 127 high school and 149 university players
- Projected first-round bids
- Watanabe: four; Komoda and Suzuki: three each
- Oda’s stated plan
- Pursue a career in the United States
4 sources
What people are saying
The path you choose is your destiny