Sports · Baseball · 1 hr ago
Yokohama pitcher Shoki Oda aims to reach MLB without Japanese pro baseball
Yokohama High School pitcher Shoki Oda will pursue Major League Baseball without first joining a Japanese professional team.
The 18-year-old announced his decision at a news conference at his school in Yokohama, Japan.
Oda throws up to 157 kilometres per hour and helped Yokohama win Japan’s spring high school invitational tournament in his second year.
He said his ultimate goal is to become the world’s best pitcher and that learning English in the United States would help him communicate in the major leagues.
He can sign a minor-league contract from January 15 and will then aim to earn promotion to the major leagues.
Attending a US university is also an option, while Japanese teams could still select him in the October 22 draft.
Yokohama High School pitcher Shoki Oda said he will pursue a Major League Baseball career without first playing in Japanese professional baseball.
The 18-year-old made the announcement at a news conference at his school on October 15.
Oda said his ultimate goal is to become the world’s best pitcher.
He can sign a minor-league contract with an MLB team from January 15 next year and will seek promotion to the major leagues.
He is also considering attending a US university, citing the importance of improving his English.
- Who
- Shoki Oda, an 18-year-old pitcher at Yokohama High School.
- What
- He announced he will pursue MLB without first playing in Japanese professional baseball.
- When
- October 15, 2026.
- Where
- At Yokohama High School in Yokohama, Japan.
- Why
- He aims to become the world’s best pitcher and says early exposure to spoken English would help him communicate if he reaches MLB.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Oda shut out Hanamaki Higashi in a quarterfinal, according to the Yomiuri Shimbun caption.
Oda announced at a news conference that he would pursue MLB without playing in Japanese professional baseball.
Japan’s professional baseball draft is scheduled to take place.
Oda will be eligible to sign a minor-league contract with an MLB team.
- Age
- 18
- School
- Yokohama High School, Kanagawa
- Fastest reported pitch
- 157 km/h; the Yomiuri Shimbun also says he threw 156 km/h at this summer’s national high school tournament, a historical record
- MLB contract eligibility
- January 15, 2027
- Draft
- Japan’s professional baseball draft is scheduled for October 22, 2026
3 sources
What people are saying
I decided to take on the challenge in the United States, with my ultimate goal of becoming the world’s best pitcher.
I am determined to take on the challenge.