Overview
- Orix officials led by GM Junichi Fukura visited Fuji University and publicly called 22-year-old right-hander Futo Kakuda an immediate first‑year starting candidate.
- Orix scout Satoshi Komatsu praised Kakuda’s will to finish on the mound and compared his profile to Yoshinobu Yamamoto, underscoring the club’s high evaluation.
- Chunichi and Lotte completed similar post‑draft visits to Ren Miyahara of Kinki University and Yuto Maeda of Takaoka Daiichi High School to deliver negotiation tokens and offer formal greetings.
- Maeda is noted for a 156 km/h fastball this summer and a 20‑strikeout no‑hit performance in a regional tournament, details that helped Lotte select him at No. 2.
- All three clubs said next steps are contract negotiations and medical checks, with players expressing goals of contributing immediately and aiming for long‑term team roles.