18-Year-Old Japanese Baseball Phenom Draws MLB Interest
Shoki Oda, an 18-year-old right-handed pitcher from Yokohama High School, has attracted interview plans from representatives of 11 or 12 Major League Baseball…
Shoki Oda, the 18-year-old Japanese baseball phenom, has drawn interview plans from representatives of 11 or 12 Major League Baseball teams as he pursues a professional future in the United States. The right-handed pitcher from Yokohama High School can throw a 97 mph fastball and has opted against playing professional baseball in Japan.
That decision puts a highly watched young pitcher on a path toward either an MLB organization or college baseball in the United States. Oda’s next step could follow the interest of more than 10 teams, while Japan’s Yomiuri Giants have already selected him in the first round of the Nippon Professional Baseball draft.
His fastball made headlines at Japan’s national high school baseball championship at Koshien Stadium in August. Oda’s 97 mph pitch was the fastest ever thrown at the tournament, drawing scouts’ attention.
Why are MLB teams interested in Shoki Oda?
Oda offers more than velocity. Along with his fastball, he throws a slider, curveball, splitter, changeup and cutter, giving teams a range of pitches to assess as they consider him for a future in the United States.
His high school coach, Hiroaki Murata, said representatives from 11 or 12 MLB teams had indicated plans to interview the teenager. Murata described Oda’s preference clearly: “He’s thinking only about the U.S. right now. I can’t interfere with his future; I just want him to make a good choice.”
A short line on the radar.
The interest carries a practical consequence for Oda: he can pursue a deal with a Major League organization or choose college baseball in the United States. His decision to leave the Japanese professional route comes even after the Yomiuri Giants picked him in the first round of the draft on October 22.
Oda has chosen the U.S. route
The Giants’ selection put Oda in a position to consider a prominent opportunity at home, but he had already said he was not interested in playing professional baseball in Japan. Murata said he would not interfere with the pitcher’s future choice.
For MLB teams, Oda’s record-setting fastball and varied pitch selection offer an early look at a teenage prospect who has already drawn broad attention. For Oda, the choice is between signing with a Major League organization and playing college baseball in the United States.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are among the teams interested, alongside the New York Yankees. Oda’s reported favorite player is Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and the Dodgers are the only Major League Baseball team he follows on Instagram.
Oda’s rise also comes as other young Japanese players attract attention. The 17-year-old Haruki Komoda has drawn notice for his physical tools, while the New York Mets have reportedly sent scouts to Japan to watch him. Oda’s own fastball, however, remains the tournament’s benchmark: 97 mph, the fastest pitch ever thrown at Koshien’s national high school championship.
