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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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Kei Nomoto |
Name
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| Outfield |
Position
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| Nippon Express |
Previous Club
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| 7/24/84 |
Birthdate
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| 180 / 71 |
Centimeters / Inches
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| 81 / 179 |
Kilograms / Pounds
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| L / L |
Throws / Bats |
Nomoto is a balanced player who can run, field
and hit well. He's a consistent hitter who gets a lot of hits but fails to hit
for power. He can go left or right, and is a dependable fielder.
Nomoto and Chono were considered the best players
from the industrial league in the draft.
Projection: Nomoto's reputation was bigger than
what he actually delivered. Although he's a consistent and versatile hitter and
fielder, he's not spectacular at anything.
Nomoto has a ton of experience playing on the
national team since his college days at Komazawa University, but I don't think
he has much room to improve and his production will drop off considerably at
this level.
Chunichi desperately needs help in the outfield,
as Wada was the only outfielder to have a batting average in the Central League
Top 30, but he turns 37 in June.
Look for Chunichi to get Nomoto on the field
quickly, perhaps in 2009. Don't, however, look for him to light up the sky with
his hitting. He'll be a better fielder than hitter in the pros.
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Junki Ito
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Name
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| Pitcher |
Position
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| Gifu Johoku HS
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Previous Club
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| 1/7/91
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Birthdate
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| 185 / 73 |
Centimeters / Inches
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| 75 / 165 |
Kilograms / Pounds
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| R / L
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Throws / Bats |
Ito throws at 147km and recovered well from a right elbow
injury. He has a very good motion on his fastball and breaking balls. He's
smart, but sometimes overexerts himself needing to impose a little self control,
which should come as he matures.
He has a good frame and will bulk up nicely. His idol is Yu
Darvish, and he has a similar build. He's unpolished and inexperienced, but has
many raw tools and huge potential to be something good in the pros.
Projection: Chunichi needs pitching badly. No current pitchers
of the Dragons were able to crack the Top 10 in Central league ERA rankings.
With Kawakami gone, they need someone to step up.
Ito has a lot of good things going for him, but is great at
anything. Simply throwing 147km will not get him by like it did in high school.
His breaking balls are good, but he lacks the experience to manage a game,
intimidate batters or outmuscle them.
I believe Ito will be a good, reliable starter but 2009 is
probably too early to expect him to crack to rotation. He needs time to mature
and learn. Chunichi is a good place for him. He'll be well coached and
eventually turn into a decent starter.
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Kyohei Iwasaki |
Name
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| Infield - SS/3B |
Position
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| Tokai University |
Previous Club
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| 4/4/86 |
Birthdate
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| 178 / 70 |
Centimeters / Inches
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| 73 / 161 |
Kilograms / Pounds
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| R / L |
Throws / Bats |
Iwasaki is very speedy. He runs 50 meters in the
five second range. He hit for 40 home runs in his college baseball career at
Tokai. He's a solid batter who can be relied upon and he strokes the bat with
powerful shoulders. Iwasaki had a batting
average over .400 in the World University College Tournament. Projection:
You can't teach speed, and Iwasaki has it. He's not a power hitter, but strong
enough to hit the long ball from time to time. Chunichi
doesn't need infield help now, what with the solid trio of Woods, Morino and
Ibata holding it down. However, Iwasaki is versatile, playing third base or
shortstop, and can run like the wind. Expect
Chunichi to use him right away for pinch running, and from that role they'll see
if he can hit at this level. Chunichi is not the youngest team around, so
Iwasaki's versatility, speed, and ability to hit well should make him a part of
the starting nine in the near future.
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Ryosuke Oguma
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Name
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| Pitcher |
Position
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| Ohmi HS |
Previous Club
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| 8/11/90 |
Birthdate
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| 180 / 71 |
Centimeters / Inches
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| 80 / 176 |
Kilograms / Pounds
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| R / R |
Throws / Bats |
Japanese scouts love Oguma, but I'm not so sure.
He valiantly battled back from injury, and played through it. I don't question
his heart. But he was beaten up badly in Koshien 08 and didn't look half as
impressive as his reviews by Japanese scouts. He's rumored to throw at 145km,
but at Koshien 08 only reached about 141km.
Projection: He's made to play baseball with his
build and tools, but I don't see him dominating in the big leagues. I think this
mainly because I never saw him dominate in high school.
He seems more like an underachiever with a bad
attitude. Whether this underachievement and unfulfilled potential was due to
injury will remain to be seen. It's not likely a perennial title
challenger like Chunichi will risk starting an underachieving rookie in games
that matter. Unfortunately for Oguma, most of Chunichi's games matter.
Look for Oguma to bide his time and develop
during 2009 before possibly getting his shot to play in the future.
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