Japan's baseball draft declarations close with 276 high school and university players

Japan's high school baseball federation and university baseball federation closed submissions of declarations to enter professional baseball on October 8, announcing a list of 276 players, Sankei Shimbun and Nikkei reported. The list includes 127 high school players and 149 university players. The declaration is mandatory for players seeking to turn professional, and those listed will be eligible for selection at the October 22 draft. [ 2 , 3 ]

Both newspapers highlighted Yokohama High School pitcher Shoki Oda (織田翔希), who recorded a 156 km/h pitch, described as the fastest at the Koshien tournament. They reported that he is highly regarded in Japanese and US baseball. The coverage also pointed to prospects at Okinawa Shogaku and Yamanashi Gakuin, including expectations for a player seeking to compete as both a pitcher and a hitter. [ 2 , 3 ]

Among university players, the reports focused on Aoyama Gakuin University, describing its catcher as a strong candidate for a first-round selection and its leading right-handed pitcher as a likely early pick. They also highlighted a left-handed pitcher who helped Kansai University win its first national university title in 54 years, alongside pitching prospects at Keio, Kindai and Fuji universities. [ 2 , 3 ]

Nikkei's report, credited to Kyodo, added that the university field was somewhat thin in position players considered likely early selections. It described prospects at Meiji University, including a power-hitting outfielder and a fast infielder with batting skills, as well as an outfielder at Higashi Nippon International University capable of hitting for extra bases to different parts of the field. [ 3 ]