On October 25, 2018, the professional baseball draft was held again this year.
I'll be writing positively about the players the Chunichi Dragons have acquired, including introductions and expectations.
Akira Neo (infielder, right-handed/left-handed thrower, high school student)
He is one of the most sought-after players in this year's draft.
He is an infielder with exceptional athleticism, excelling in hitting, fielding, and running.
He possesses both excellent batting technique that doesn't fight against the pitch's trajectory and a keen eye for pitches, and he also has power to hit for extra bases.
He has above-average running speed and a wide defensive range.
Watching videos of the shortstop's fielding, you can see that his throws are very stable, demonstrating his high level of defensive skill.
Currently, Kyoda is the regular shortstop, but depending on his batting performance, he's a player who could easily take that position away from him.
His addition will undoubtedly raise the level of the infield by a notch.
We have high expectations for him to become a local star.
Kodai Umetsu (pitcher, right-handed/right-handed thrower, university student)
He's one of the top-class, powerful pitchers in college baseball.
He throws powerful fastballs exceeding 150 km/h from his towering 187 cm frame.
His high strikeout rate suggests he'll be primarily suited for relief or closer roles.
This season, the Chunichi Dragons' bullpen has collapsed, and they have suffered the bitter disappointment of numerous come-from-behind losses.
He seems like the type of pitcher that would fit that need to be strengthened.
As a late bloomer, he still shows great potential for growth, even though he's still a university student.
Akiyoshi Katsuno (pitcher, right-handed thrower, amateur)
He's a highly talented pitcher who was selected for the U-23 Samurai Japan team at the age of 19, and was also selected for the amateur national team this year.
His weapon is a fastball that exceeds 150 km/h, and his appealing pitching style is that he remains unfazed even in tense situations.
While he still has some issues with control and other aspects, I think he has the potential to become a reliable relief and closing pitcher, much like Hiroshi Suzuki of the Chunichi Dragons.
Although he's a working adult, he's still young at 21, so he's a pitcher whose future growth is something to look forward to.
Kota Ishibashi (Catcher, Right-handed thrower, High school student)
He's a catcher whose appeal lies in his well-balanced and high overall abilities.
In addition to his impressive physical abilities, such as his ability to throw 115 meters and make throws in under 2 seconds, his batting prowess, with 57 home runs in his high school career, is also a major draw.
Last year, the Chunichi Dragons missed out on Shosei Nakamura, so they drafted a high school starting catcher with comparable talent.
Currently, there isn't a standout catcher, so I hope the young players will win the competition with their own strength.
Kenshin Kakikoshi (pitcher, left-handed thrower, high school student)
He's a left-handed pitcher whose appeal lies in his fastball, which reaches a maximum speed of 146 km/h, and his variety of breaking balls, including sliders and changeups.
His pitching form, which involves a sudden shift from a relaxed movement to a powerful throw, gives him a high strikeout rate.
He looks just like pitcher Kasahara from the Chunichi Dragons, so I hope they'll develop him into a starting pitcher.
I feel some kind of connection to Kenshin Kawakami, a former Chunichi Dragons player, because our names are pronounced the same.
Kaname Takino (Outfielder, Right-handed/Left-handed thrower, University student)
He's an outfielder whose strengths are his bat control and speed.
He's a tall, slender player who doesn't hit many home runs, but he's the type of hitter who seems likely to maintain a good batting average.
Given that the Chunichi Dragons lack promising young outfielders, it wouldn't be surprising if this player emerged early on.
He's a determined player who says he intended to become a professional even while being a developmental player, so I hope other players will learn from his hunger.
Overall review
This year's draft was even better than last year's.
We were able to acquire the negotiating rights for player Neo, who was sought after by four other teams, and also select player Umezu, who is considered a first-round draft pick, in the second round.
There's no doubt that these two alone can be considered a huge success.
The effects of making announcer Keiichi Wakasa, the man who always misses the lottery when he goes to cover stories, undergo waterfall meditation and then confining him to the head office are clearly evident.
Another significant factor is that we were able to draft a promising catcher, something we hadn't been able to do in recent years.
Just because we're short on catchers doesn't mean we can draft unattractive players.
It was fortunate that we had a good catcher at just the right time.
We were also able to strengthen our outfield, which is aging.
However, considering the retirements of Kudo and Nomoto, and the lackluster performance of the minor league outfielders, it would have been nice if they had drafted a few more players.
Perhaps there simply weren't any outfielders who could match that level of performance this time around.
Furthermore, in order to strengthen our bullpen, which was a priority for reinforcement, we were able to select two players who possess attractive fastballs and strikeout abilities.
The retirement of Iwase and Asao, two of the team's relief pitchers, is also a very significant factor.
Last year's draft focused on young high school players, with the understanding that they would be developed into future stars.
This year's draft selections were well-balanced, as they focused on developing players while also addressing the weaknesses in the current roster.
For a while, the fans will undoubtedly be overjoyed by the arrival of these star players.
It looks like news about the Chunichi Dragons will be dominated by stories about Neo for a while.