Nippon-Ham Fighters take two-way high schooler Haruki Komoda first in pro baseball draft
In short
At the professional baseball draft on 22 October, the Nippon-Ham Fighters were the only club to nominate Haruki Komoda (菰田陽生), a 17-year-old two-way player from Yamanashi Gakuin High School, in the first round. Fighters manager Shinjo Tsuyoshi called him a player with "nothing but dreams". Komoda said he was grateful to be picked by the club he wanted to join.
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At the professional baseball draft on 22 October, held at the Shin-Takanawa Prince Hotel, the Nippon-Ham Fighters were the only club to nominate Haruki Komoda (菰田陽生), a 17-year-old two-way player from Yamanashi Gakuin High School, in the first round. They won his negotiating rights, according to TBS NEWS DIG, Yomiuri and Mainichi. TBS NEWS DIG said it was the first draft in 13 years, since 2013, in which no club announced its first-round pick in advance. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 14 ]
TBS NEWS DIG lists Komoda as 195 cm tall, born on 21 December 2008 in Onjuku, Chiba, with a top pitching speed of 152 km/h and 39 home runs in high school. Its profile gives his weight as 100 kg, while another TBS NEWS DIG report says 103 kg. Mainichi said he hit a home run in the first round of this spring's Senbatsu, but his team lost in the semi-final of this summer's Yamanashi tournament and did not reach Koshien. [ 2 , 9 , 14 ]
Mainichi reported that Komoda watched the broadcast in a hall at the school in Kofu with manager Koji Yoshida and teammates, and that teammates applauded when the Fighters' nomination was announced. At a press conference he said: "I am grateful to be picked by the team I wanted to join. I want to grow and aim to succeed as a two-way player in the pros as well." He said the Fighters have a record of developing Shohei Ohtani and called Shinjo a unique manager he looks forward to being coached by. [ 2 , 14 ]
TBS NEWS DIG quoted Shinjo, the Fighters manager, as saying "He's got it" about Komoda, because five clubs still had picks after the Fighters chose him, and that he was happy. TBS NEWS DIG's headline quotes Shinjo as saying the club treats the first year as body building but that he will bring Komoda up to the first team. Mainichi quoted him as calling Komoda a player with "nothing but dreams". Nippon TV's headline says Shinjo said Komoda follows him on Instagram and joked that he might go and stay at the player's home. [ 11 , 15 , 16 ]
Yomiuri reported that the Giants were the only club to nominate Shoki Oda (織田翔希) of Yokohama High School, who had said he intended to try for Major League Baseball. Catcher Kai Watanabe (渡部海) and pitcher Taisei Suzuki (鈴木泰成), both of Aoyama Gakuin University, each drew two clubs. Rakuten won Watanabe and SoftBank won Suzuki. Chunichi then took Ren Miyahara (宮原廉) of Kindai University after losing the Watanabe lottery. [ 3 ]
The Fighters took outfielder Sho Mure (牟禮翔) of Kyushu Kokusai University Affiliated High School in the second round and Ryosuke Sueyoshi (末吉良丞), a pitcher from Okinawa Shogaku, in the third. TBS NEWS DIG said Sueyoshi pitched Okinawa Shogaku to victory at Koshien in summer 2025. Nishi-Nippon Shimbun quoted Mure as saying he was surprised to be called in the second round and wants to repay his parents and others by succeeding as a professional. It said Ichiro had coached him at the school last year. The Fighters also took Fujii of Shingu High School in the second round of the development draft. [ 6 , 8 , 10 , 18 ]
Why it matters
Yomiuri and Mainichi describe Komoda as a high school player drawing attention for both pitching and hitting. TBS NEWS DIG said no club had announced its first-round pick in advance for the first time in 13 years. The documents do not say how the Fighters will use him.
Key facts
- The Nippon-Ham Fighters were the sole club to nominate Haruki Komoda of Yamanashi Gakuin High School in the first round and won his negotiating rights. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 14 ]
- Komoda is 17 and 195 cm tall, with a top pitching speed of 152 km/h and 39 high school home runs, according to TBS NEWS DIG and Mainichi. [ 2 , 9 , 14 ]
- The Giants were the sole club to nominate Shoki Oda (織田翔希) of Yokohama High School, who had said he intended to try for Major League Baseball, according to Yomiuri. [ 3 ]
- Catcher Kai Watanabe (渡部海) of Aoyama Gakuin University went to Rakuten and pitcher Taisei Suzuki (鈴木泰成) of the same university went to SoftBank, each after two clubs competed for them, according to Yomiuri. [ 3 ]
- The Fighters took outfielder Sho Mure (牟禮翔) of Kyushu Kokusai University Affiliated High School in the second round and Okinawa Shogaku pitcher Ryosuke Sueyoshi (末吉良丞) in the third. [ 6 , 8 , 10 , 18 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The Fighters nominated Komoda alone in the first round and won his negotiating rights. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 14 ]
- The Fighters nominated Sho Mure of Kyushu Kokusai University Affiliated High School in the second round. [ 6 , 10 , 18 ]
- Komoda said he was glad to be picked by the Fighters. [ 5 , 9 , 12 , 14 ]
- Fighters manager Shinjo Tsuyoshi called Komoda a player with "nothing but dreams". [ 11 , 16 ]
Still unclear
- Komoda's weight. TBS NEWS DIG's profile gives 100 kg, while another TBS NEWS DIG report gives 103 kg.
- Mure's career high school home run total. TBS NEWS DIG says 25, while Nishi-Nippon Shimbun says 36.
- When Komoda will play in the first team. TBS NEWS DIG's headline quotes Shinjo as saying the club treats the first year as body building but that he will bring Komoda up to the first team; the documents give no further detail.
- Whether Oda will go to Major League Baseball or sign with the Giants. Yomiuri says only that he had said he intended to challenge MLB; the documents do not say what happens next.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Komoda watches the draft broadcast at Yamanashi Gakuin High School as the Fighters' first-round nomination is announced. [ 9 , 14 ]
- Nippon TV News reports that the Fighters took Komoda with their first pick. [ 1 ]
- Yomiuri publishes the first-round results, including the Giants' nomination of Oda and the lottery wins by Rakuten and SoftBank. [ 3 ]
- TBS NEWS DIG reports that the Fighters took Mure in the second round. [ 6 ]
- TBS NEWS DIG reports that the Fighters took Sueyoshi in the third round. [ 8 ]
- TBS NEWS DIG publishes Shinjo's comments on Komoda. [ 11 ]
- Mainichi publishes Komoda's comments from his press conference at the school in Kofu. [ 14 ]