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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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Katsuki Akagawa |
Name
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| Pitcher |
Position
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| Miyazakisho HS |
Previous Club
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| 7/31/90 |
Birthdate
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| 184 / 72 |
Centimeters / Inches
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| 87 / 192 |
Kilograms / Pounds
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| L / L |
Throws / Bats |
Akagawa throws over 150km and was a fun pitcher
to watch in high school. He was dominant, but suffered from overuse by his
coach, as did Keisuke Saito (Giants).
He threw blazing heat with a nasty attitude. He's
not a thinking pitcher, getting by on pure power and aggression.
Projection: As opposed to last year's Yakult
draft pick Yoshinori, who throws 156km with a smaller frame, Akagawa is a
hulking bare-knuckled street thrower who can flat out intimidate with power
pitching. If he bulks up a bit, he can be the same kind of pitcher at this
level. Akagawa, Yoshinori, Ishikawa and Tateyama should eventually make up the
Yakult rotation.
For 2009 Akagawa will most likely be used in spot
starts later in the season like Yoshinori was last year, as the Swallows realize
they're no longer in contention for a title.
He may give up some big innings to start, as he
finds big leaguers are not as intimidated as those he's previously faced.
He'll eventually mature into a solid rotation starter as he develops more
pitches and pitching intelligence.
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Ryosuke Yagi
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Name
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| Pitcher |
Position
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| Kyoei HS
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Previous Club
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| 9/29/90
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Birthdate
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| 180 71 |
Centimeters / Inches
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| 73 / 161 |
Kilograms / Pounds
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| L / L
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Throws / Bats |
I wasn't a fan of Yagi, but Japanese scouts liked. His velocity
was not impressive at 142km and he uses his elbows and shoulders in a way that
makes his fastball look faster than it really is. He also throws a slider and a
curve, but relies mostly on his fastball.
He's a competitor who hates to lose, and fearlessly takes on
batters, though he could use a little more mental toughness and stamina.
Projection: The Swallows are searching for starters to
compliment Ishikawa and Tateyama in the rotation. I'm not sure they found one
here. Yagi will find himself in trouble if he tries to take on big league
batters with a 142km fasball and nothing to back it up. He may be a "bark
is bigger than his bite" pitcher.
The Swallows should bring Yoshinori into the rotation this
year. Their other draft pick, Akagawa, has a better chance to start than
this one. Yagi will spend 2009 developing his skills in hope of making a future
rotation.
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Yuhei Nakamura
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Name
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| Catcher
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Position
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| Fukuisho HS
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Previous Club
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| 6/17/90
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Birthdate
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| 178 / 70
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Centimeters / Inches
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| 72 / 159 |
Kilograms / Pounds
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| R / R
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Throws / Bats |
Nakamura was the best catcher at the high school
level last year. He has powerful shoulders and good velocity throwing the ball.
Runner find it difficult to steal on him.
He can run, hit and catch well. He has excellent
vision and field awareness, and sees runners even when catching infield pop ups
and running down bunts. He has all the tools that make a solid catcher.
Projection: Nakamura has a good combination of
power, intelligence and speed with a natural instinct for the catcher position.
His hitting needs work and he's a little under-sized. H's a speedy-type catcher
who uses his lower body well.
Yakult has had problems at catcher. Nakamura
could split time with or fill in for catchers if he plays in 2009. He could
eventually take over the catching duties once he improves his hitting. His
instincts and defense are too good for the farm leagues. With his lackluster
hitting at the moment, the catching position in the short run will be a
liability to the team.
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