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RETURN to Teams Page
NPB Japanese Professional Baseball Draft Guide
by Brandon Siefken, JapanBall.com
(This page posted until just
before the start of the 2010 season.)
For the first time in years the draft for the 2009 season subjected all
amateur levels (high school, university, and industrial league) to the same
draft.
Each team is ranked and graded using three criteria:
- How a team met its needs;
- What talent was drafted...and passed by; and,
- The value received for the round.
A brief recap of team statistics are given before the analysis.
|
Team: |
Carp |
Draft Rank: |
1 |
Grade: |
A |
|
2008 Statistical Finish out of Six Clubs in League |
| Record |
69-70-5 (4th) |
RBI |
537 (5th) |
| RA* |
594 (5th) |
ERA |
3.78 (5th) |
| * Runs Allowed |
The Carp needed help everywhere. They got it.
Round One: Lefty power-hitting outfielder Takahiro Iwamoto
from Asia University. Alex was Hiroshima’s best outfielder last year and
will be 37 soon. Iwamoto looks like he can step in right away and play. He
can hit the long ball (52 career home runs) and give them needed help quickly.
Round Two: Ren Nakata from Koryo High School. Nakata is a
local talent who can throw serious cheese. He has some control problems but
has a big league arm and projects nicely as a closer.
Round Three: Takeshi Komatsu from Hosei University.
Komatsu was projected to go as a number one pick, but then struggled with
inconsistency and his stock plummeted. Hiroshima found a hidden gem and the
gamble on Komatsu’s consistency is definitely worth a third round pick. The
pay-off could be very large.
With their other picks Hiroshima addressed the infield and picked
up another pitcher. This draft gave them three players who can play right
away and they get high marks for addressing holes and getting great value.
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