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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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Ikketsu Sho |
Name
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| Pitcher |
Position
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| Nara Sangyo Univ |
Previous Club
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| 1/2/86 |
Birthdate
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| 181 / 71 |
Centimeters / Inches
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| 86 / 190 |
Kilograms / Pounds
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| R / R |
Throws / Bats |
Sho came to Japan from Taiwan during
high school as an exchange student. He has great stamina and velocity. Mixes
breaking pitches with his fastball well, and is considered the best pitcher in
Kansai by some.
In Spring 08 he appeared in nine games, posting one win with a 0.47
ERA. In the Fall he finished three appearances without giving up a run. He is
mechanically sound and has a nice fastball.
He has great balance and body
control and throws a max velocity fastball of 148km. He also throws a nice
curve. Surprisingly, he was hoping to get drafted by Yokohama.
Projection: Though he's inexperience, Sho
has enough mechanics and tools to play at the pro level. He projects very well as a stable middle reliever.
I was a
little taken aback to see him drafted this early, but the pick is not bad.
Hanshin has arguably the best rotation in the business with Shimoyanagi, Ando
and Iwata leading the charge. They also have good relief from the likes of
Watanabe, Esaka and Abe. It might be hard for Sho to crack the roster, but it's
hard to believe Hanshin used their first pick to sit him. If he sees action in
2009, it will be limited but he'll make the best of his opportunities.
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Kohei Shibata
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Name
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| Outfield
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Position
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| International Budo U |
Previous Club
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7/17/86
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Birthdate
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175 / 69 |
Centimeters / Inches
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| 77 / 170
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Kilograms / Pounds
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| L / L |
Throws / Bats |
Shibata has pro-level speed. He should be
used during his rookie year at least as a pinch-runner. He's a great hustler, has
good fielding skills, and hits for average.
In Spring 08 he hit for a .419 average, but in the Fall dropped to
.244. He's smallish and, despite being an outfielder,
doesn't hit for power.
Projection: Japanese scouts call him the next Akahoshi.
He's certainly in that mold, but I don't see him being that successful. He's too
inconsistent.
He could be used as a base-stealer, since has the proper speed. If he can work on his
consistency and learn better
hitting through good coaching, he could be in a future line-up.
As for
2009, Hanshin is just too good and too deep for him to make much impact, even if
he gets a chance to play.
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Hiroki Uemoto
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Name
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| Second Base |
Position
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| Waseda University
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Previous Club
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7/4/86
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Birthdate
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| 173 / 68
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Centimeters / Inches
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| 70 / 154
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Kilograms / Pounds
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| R / R
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Throws / Bats |
Uemoto was selected to the "Best
Nine" five times. He's a fierce competitor, plays with fire and has rare
raw talent. A little on the small side and not particularly powerful. He can
knock in runs in spurts, steal some bases, and occasionally go long.
He was
mired in a bit of slump at the end of his college career, and he's a little streaky. As is common
with Japanese scouts,
his name and reputation got him drafted more than his actual performance and numbers.
He's a great fielder with a weak arm, but quick feet to get to the ball.
Projection: The Tigers have a formidable infield so Uemoto
may have limited chances to get playing time. Uemoto and Shibata are both
smallish base stealers with little power in their hitting. I like Shibata a bit better. Uemoto not only has an uphill climb to get playing time, but
I don't see him doing much even when that time comes. I think he was at the
right school with the right name at the right time but, in reality, is not pro
baseball material. At least not right now.
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