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RETURN to Teams Page
Top Picks from Amateur
Draft going into 2009 Season.
by Brandon Siefken,
JapanBall.com
(This page to remain posted until just before 2010 season.)
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Takahiro Iwamoto |
Name
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| outfield |
Position
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| Asia University |
Previous Club
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| 4/18/86 |
Birthdate
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| 182 / 72 |
Centimeters / Inches
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| 82 / 181 |
Kilograms / Pounds
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| L / L |
Throws / Bats |
Iwamoto looks like he was made to play baseball.
He's a left-handed power hitter who hit 52 home runs in high school at
Hiroshimasho HS. He hit clean-up for Asia University since his first year.
He's a big presence at the plate. He can go long
left or right and finished fourth in home runs in his college league. Had a
slump at the end of his college career. He's never been much of a hitter
for average and doesn't have a high on base percentage.
Projection: Iwamoto must raise his average and on
base percentage. Hiroshima's best outfielder, Alex, is 37 and none of the rest
of the outfielders stand out. So the door is open for Iwamoto to grab a
spot in the starting nine.
If he fails to improve, he'll be a hitter who
hits long or hits nothing, such as Adam Dunn. With proper training he can
learn to read pitches better and make more contact. He averaged more than one
strike out per game in college.
\When he makes contact, the ball travels. If he
can get his mental tools sharpened to match his physical tools he'll be a
mainstay in the Hiroshima outfield.
He should make the roster and have a chance to
play immediately. Depending on the results, he could be a regular sooner than
later.
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Ren Nakata |
Name
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| Pitcher |
Position
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| Koryo HS |
Previous Club
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| 7/21/90 |
Birthdate
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| 188 / 74 |
Centimeters / Inches
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| 84 / 185 |
Kilograms / Pounds
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| R / R |
Throws / Bats |
Watching Nakata in high school was a treat. He has the tools and
size to pitch in the big leagues. His velocity was blazing and he commands a
game.
However, he's very erratic. He gave up far too many big innings,
and couldn't keep his ERA down. It's unclear if this was due to bad mechanics or
mental lapses, but likely the latter.
Nakata has big league tools, and now he needs to be taught to
hone them and mature into a stable pitcher.
Projection: When things went wrong, they got out of hand and he
had some unwatchable innings. But Hiroshima needs pitching everywhere.
Nakata shared time with two others in high school and given the
power he throws with, he likely doesn't have a lot of stamina.
He's a good fit for middle relief or even as a nasty closer in
the big leagues. Look for Nakata to make the roster and be used sparingly in
relief. Depending on how he performs, his role could increase.
Be prepared to see some ugly innings in Hiroshima from time to
time, but when his heat is blazing in pure, raw form it's a thing of beauty. He
could become Hiroshima's own "Wild Thing."
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Takeshi Komatsu |
Name
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| Pitcher |
Position
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| Hosei University |
Previous Club
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| 9/26/86 |
Birthdate
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| 179 / 70 |
Centimeters / Inches
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| 75 / 165 |
Kilograms / Pounds
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| R / R |
Throws / Bats |
Komatsu has very nice movement on his curve. He's
cool and collected. He's on the lanky side. It's said his top velocity is 149km
but I have never seen him top 141km.
It's also said he's a power pitcher, but he never
had more Ks than innings pitched. He sports a curve, slider, fork and a two-seam
to go with his fastball.
His upper body form is excellent, but his lower
body seems unstable, especially in his release. He seems to shift his weight
backwards and lean towards first base. Perhaps this is nitpicking, because the
numbers and results he delivers are undeniable.
Projection: Komatsu doesn't dazzle, but is solid
and reliable and should be able to be consistent at the big league level. He
doesn't seem capable of adding much more bulk to his frame or adding much more
to his velocity.
Hiroshima was already lacking pitching, and
Takahashi leaving for MLB makes it worse. Look for Komatsu to get his chance.
With somewhat weak velocity (I'll believe 149km when I see it), he'll have to
rely on his breaking pitches to succeed. I see him as a consistent, yet forgettable,
4.35 ERA pitcher in the bigs, much like Takahashi.
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