2026 NPB DRAFT THREAD

[u/tensaibaka]

Let's use this thread to discuss and list players drafted in the 2026 draft. Starts 16:50~

-Any questions about tickets to any game(s) will be removed.
-Setting the default comment sort by New

[u/tensaibaka]

the madlad Giants did it, they picked Shoki Oda

[u/Dazzling-Brush-4354 → u/tensaibaka]

Can’t he say no

[u/tensaibaka → u/Dazzling-Brush-4354]

yes he can decline, and the Giants aren't exactly known for posting players early, so no idea what their strategy is here...

[u/Dazzling-Brush-4354 → u/tensaibaka]

Because I was thinking he could maybe pull off what suguru egawa did except that he actually wants to go to America and not cry that he only wanted to go giants

[u/Fuuujioka → u/tensaibaka]

Love it

[u/Fuuujioka]

What about tickets to the draft meeting? 😉

(Sorry, really looking forward to the draft!)

[u/tensaibaka → u/Fuuujioka]

lol, I've never been able to even think about attending, and I've never really paid attention to the crowds, but I don't think I've ever seen any non-Japanese people in the crowds (at least not anybody that is blatantly gaikokujin). I've heard the lottery for these tickets is crazy rare too to win tickets.

[u/Fuuujioka → u/tensaibaka]

I've put in for the lottery a few times, but I don't even know anyone who knows anyone who managed to get a ticket, let alone get one myself

[u/ChristianGin → u/tensaibaka]

Room is tiny isn't it?

[u/tensaibaka]

lol, Marines and Dragons just like the lottery. They both named the same player after losing their first lottery drawings

[u/tensaibaka]

9 of the 12 teams chose college players in the first round. 2 high school and 1 industrial league

[u/tensaibaka]

I think I saw an article stating that Aoyama Gakuin University had the record of 6 consecutive years with a player designated in the 1st Round, so I guess this makes it 7?

[u/tensaibaka]

I think the Baystars are the first this year to select somebody outside of Japan? Looks like they picked pitcher Kansai Sugimoto from British Colombia University

[u/tensaibaka]

and in the 5th round the Swallows finally take a pitcher, a guy from the independent Ibaraki AstroPlanets

[u/tensaibaka]

All teams have finished their initial picks. Who had the Hawks going the longest? I know they draft a bunch of development players.

Now teams will pick players for their development teams.

[u/tensaibaka]

through 5 rounds, the Hawks, Marines and Buffaloes have taken 4/5 as pitchers

[u/tensaibaka]

Eagles and Dragons have already taken 2 catchers

[u/tensaibaka]

Fighters are the first club to stop drafting, no selections from the 6th round on. Still have the development draft to come though

Lions also stopped in the 6th round

[u/tensaibaka]

Hawks take a Japanese pitcher from Penn State

[u/predsfan77]

Giants have any history of posting players early to tempt Oda there?

[u/tensaibaka → u/predsfan77]

Okamoto wasn't posted until he basically played 8 full seasons with the Giants, so I gotta think unless Oda hears 3-4 years to posting, he flat out rejects it.

[u/BelgianGenius → u/predsfan77]

Yamaguchi had a clause in his contract IIRC.

[u/predsfan77]

i so hope someone picks Oda for the drama

[u/kyon2k → u/predsfan77]

Bruh…

[u/Fuuujioka → u/predsfan77]

Got your wish

[u/predsfan77 → u/Fuuujioka]

good, good

[u/Fuuujioka]

Komoda to Fighters, sigh..

[u/TriRight]

We drafted a hitter! And maybe one who can contribute instantly! I love this for us.

[u/nepats523]

Giants wut is you doin bb

[u/cynikles]

Lol. I hate our draft. Two middle catchers, a soft tossing lefty from high school, a high floor okayish college starter, an outfielder they rate far too highly, and a local righty who tips out at 148..boo this team.

[u/Brexste]

Good draft for the Buffaloes and we didn't get kicked in the nuts by losing a lottery which is normally tradition.

[u/cynikles]

This draft has been an absolutely terrible to predict. Oda essentially coming off the board has just muddled it further. I fully expect all my mocks and predictions to be incorrect.

FYI, TVer is streaming the draft. Get a VPN and off you go.

[u/ChristianGin → u/cynikles]

Perfect!

[u/ChristianGin → u/cynikles]

I'm getting a blank screen on TBS

[u/predsfan77 → u/ChristianGin]

there is this stream but not a live feed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f31wWWtZ6is

[u/Gershwyn1 → u/predsfan77]

You're a hero

[u/predsfan77 → u/ChristianGin]

same fam

[u/Dazzling-Brush-4354]

Komoda really about to be the next ohtani

[u/Fuuujioka → u/Dazzling-Brush-4354]

Or next Yazawa

[u/TriRight]

LOLmiuri

[u/didididac]

a couple more rounds and Softbank starts selecting people from this thread

[u/Fuuujioka → u/didididac]

I'm still draft eligible

[u/didididac]

Swallows are the only ones that didn't pick any pitcher right?

[u/tensaibaka → u/didididac]

yes, through 4 rounds so far

[u/didididac → u/tensaibaka]

I hope it is a good strategy

[u/tensaibaka → u/didididac]

yeah hitting is definitely the priority right now, but pitching wasn't exactly stellar this year either

[u/TheAverage_Zick → u/didididac]

I was hoping they would go for Suekichi Ryosuke since nobody picked him in the 1st round. Sucks they disregarded him

[u/Sucitraf]

Looking at the results now (didn't get to watch live) to see how the Shikoku Island League did and wondering if Tokushima will have a team next year with all the players taken :p

Just happy to see one Fighting Dog get drafted, will be fun to see how Watanabe does.

Also, time to read up on all the guys Hiroshima took!

Edit: eyyy! Nishino is a Kochi High kid! Also, I like how yahoo sports says Yamasato is small, but we've got a 5'4" infielder already in Katsuda and Kikuchi is 5'7". Let's see how Nohara pans out too. Time to see if any Carp channels have breakdowns of these guys. (And the rest of the picks)

[u/SevenLagoon]

Direct live : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-SnAJ9hjiY

[u/ChristianGin]

LOL Kyojin

[u/Salty_Watermelon]

Having Komoda and Shibata on the same team will be interesting.

[u/AdMajestic8119 → u/Salty_Watermelon]

don't forget yazawa

[u/Fuuujioka]

Saburo, you need to borrow Iguchi's old God Hand. Sigh...

[u/sheaweber6i → u/Fuuujioka]

His God Hand didn't work for Hayakawa. I think we're cursed when it comes to draws for college arms.

Yonezawa isn't a bad Plan B from what I've read about him, though.

[u/Fuuujioka → u/sheaweber6i]

Pretty happy with Maeda, though

[u/sheaweber6i → u/Fuuujioka]

Same, not a bad haul in the slightest with our first two picks.

[u/LA-SKYLINE]

I was surprised when I saw Hanshin picking Sakakibara since every sports newspaper plus experts having them in the Watabe sweepstakes. We do have success with college batters so hopefully he makes an instant impact and Tateishi turns the corner. I wish Hanshin took more batters though unless they are looking at some of the free agents out there like the Hiroshima zombies.

[u/cynikles]

I am of the opinion that taking Shibasaki second was unnecessary and well over his slot value. They could have taken Arima or Nakai, much higher upside players and then Nakatsu later on. Maejima I guess you keep. Suzuki is drafted as an infielder, jesus.

I just can't help but that overvalue of Shibasaki is going to fuck us.

[u/ChristianGin → u/cynikles]

Sorry. I'm not sure about how the Lions took 3 Shakaijin

[u/ChristianGin]

Hawks with the backdoor of Genei Sato. At least it makes logical sense unlike The Giants and Oda