Overview
- The professional rookie draft was held on Thursday and produced several major decisions, including the Yomiuri Giants selecting Yokohama High pitcher Shoki Oda despite his public intention to try playing in the United States.
- Oda told reporters after being picked that his plan to pursue a US career has not changed and the Giants said they will make a sustained effort to negotiate with him through the allowed negotiation window.
- Chiba Lotte won negotiation rights to left-hander Yuto Yonezawa after using its first-round pick three times, and Chunichi used its top pick on right-hander Ren Miyahara, who aims for a starting role with a fastball that has hit 156 km/h.
- The Tokyo Yakult Swallows used a rare special selection rule tied to the disbanding of corporate club Sega Sammy to take pitcher Kanta Ozaki as a development (ikusei) pick, a move that highlights how team reorganizations can change draft options for social‑team players.
- Separately, Okinawa high schools Koza and Okinawa Shogaku held send-off events at Naha Airport before leaving for the Kyushu regional autumn tournament as they seek strong showings that can influence selection for next spring’s national invitational.