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NPB’s Active Player Draft Summary and Grades

 Lucas Borja - World Baseball Network  |    Dec 11th, 2024 11:00am EST

With the MLB‘s Rule 5 Draft getting underway December 11, let’s take a look at the Rule 5’s younger brother from the other side of the pacific, NPB’s Active Player Draft.

This draft was created in 2022 to give players a chance to have a change of scenery, like you see with its american counterpart. Though most of the players involved are not household names, some, like Dragons slugger Seiya Hosokawa, Fighters outfielder Shun Mizutani, and Tigers southpaw Kotaro Ohtake have all been named All-Stars in their first season with their new club. 2024 will be the Draft’s third edition, and since it’s done after the NPB Rookie Draft and at a time when a lot of teams have made their free agent signings, it offers general managers one last chance to improve their ballclub for next season.

Draft Rules:

  • Each team nominates atleast two players to be drafted
  • Foreign players are ineligble
  • Developmental players and players with a multi-year contract are ineligble

12 teams, 13 picks, and if the trend holds up, at least one of these clubs will walk away with an All-Star. Let’s try to find out who:

Central League

Yomiuri Giants – RHP Eito Tanaka (Fighters) C-

A third-round pick out of Yanagigaura High School in the 2017 NPB Draft, the now 25-year-old Tanaka failed to make a lasting impression in Hokkaido. Over his career, Tanaka saw limited time with the top team, tossing 33 innings at the NPB level with a 6.00 ERA. He spent the majority of his time with the ni-gun team (which translates to 2nd team). There, he suffered a series of setbacks, first by getting elbow surgery in 2020 and catching COVID-19 the following year.

It’s not hard to see why the Fighters nominated him but it’s also important to see why the Giants picked him up. 2024 was by far the best year by Tanaka on ni-gun, in 29 appearances (5 starts), Tanaka posted a 2.35 ERA with 43 strikeouts and a 1.11 WHIP. This perfomance earned him two separate call-ups, and he showed a boost in velocity that had him average 92mph and topping out at 95mph. The Giants are likely looking at Tanaka as a bullpen project, for now.

Tokyo Yakult Swallows – RHP Takuya Yasaki (Carp) A

Maybe the highest profile selection of the draft, Yasaki, whose name actually used to be Takuya Katoh before getting married, was a standout pitcher for Keio University of the Tokyo Big6 League, and that got him drafted by the Hiroshima Carp in the first round of the 2016 NPB Draft. Yasaki showed promise in his rookie year, but struggled immensely for the next 3 seasons. The now 29-year-old got the setup job out of Spring Training in 2022 and ran with it, shoving to a tune of a 1.82 ERA in 49 innings. He did well again in 2023, this time in the closer role, with 24 saves. This past regular season, Yasaki started off well, but faltered late in the year, and his fastball that once sat at 93mph, now was clocking in at 91, ending the year with a 3.60 ERA.

The Swallows will definitely give him a look as a potential late-inning option, as the team had the worst bullpen ERA in the Central League, but it remains to be seen if Yasaki can regain his form in Tokyo, pitching in the hitter-friendly Meiji Jingu Stadium.

Yokohama Baystars – RHP Masumi Hamachi (Tigers) B

Drafted in the same round and the same region as Yoshinobu Yamamto in 2016, Hamachi has carved out a solid career at the NPB level with the Hanshin Tigers. The 26-year old’s best year came in 2022, as Hamachi put it all together with a 1.14 ERA in 52 games, displaying elite command and controlling the running game. Hamachi was also a part of the 2023 Japan Series winning Tigers that broke their 38-year drought. Despite a 2.11 ERA this season, the Tigers were comfortable in letting him go, probably due to his drop-off in stuff (3.8 K/9 in 2024), and the club’s many quality options in relief.

Hamachi lands with the reigning champions, the Yokohama Baystars, and profiles as a dependable middle reliever for them in 2025.

Chunichi Dragons – RHP Mao Itoh (Eagles) C-

A fourth-round pick in 2022 as a reliever out of college, Itoh is yet another pithcer looking to spark his career with a change of scenery. The righty struggled when given the chance with the Eagles top-team, allowing more walks than strikeouts. Itoh was solid on the farm in 2024 (2.64 ERA in 44 IP).

The Dragons must be a fan of Itoh’s unique arsenal, as Itoh’s fastest pitch is actually his sinker, not his fastball. The 23-year old is also sidearm pitcher. With the expected departure of superstar cuban closer Raidel Martínez, Itoh can potentially be a contributor if he can translate the way he pitched in college to a NPB mound.

Hanshin Tigers – RHP Seishū Hatake (Giants) B+

A former 2nd round pick out of college by the Yomiuri Giants in 2016, Hatake pitched well enough as a starter when beginning his pro career, but has transitioned to a bullpen piece over the past three years. Over 291 innings with Yomiuri, Hatake posted a 3.21 ERA with a 1.15 WHIP  and a solid 8.2 K/9. The righty’s arsenal is pretty straightforward, with a 4-pitch mix consisting of a 90mph fastball, a slider, cutter and the forkball. The Giants were ok with letting him go because Hatake was not able to regain his form after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow, and missing the entire 2023 season. Hatake spent most of 2024 with the second team, impressing with a 1.41 ERA over 44 innings.

The Tigers basically swapped Hamachi for Hatake here, they may prefer the 30-year old due to his more extensive starting pedigree.

Hiroshima Carp – IF Tatsuya Yamaashi (Buffaloes) F

The Carp were the only team to make two picks in this draft, and they were the only ones to take a hitter with the selection of IF Tatsuya Yaamashi, previously of the Orix Buffaloes. Unfortunately, this selection by the Carp is uninspiring at best. Yaamashi is a career .195/.257/.263 hitter at the NPB level, good for a hideous 48 wRC+. It’s clear his value lies on his defensive versatility, as the 31-year old has made a start on every infield position. It’s hard to project anything more than a backup infielder/pinch runner role for Yamaashi, they could have done better here.

RHP Kenya Suzuki (Fighters) A

Let’s talk about the real fun pick here, 26-year old submariner Kenya Suzuki. Suzuki is the anthithesis of the modern pitcher, throwing at speeds we have not seen since 50-year old Jamie Moyer made some starts for the 2012 Rockies. In 2024 Suzuki averaged 78mph with the heater (slowest in NPB), 70mph on the slider, and 56mph on the curveball. The submariner struggles to get swings and misses and is not a groundball pitcher, two key indicators if a pitcher is having sustainable success and yet… Suzuki has been able to post a sub 3.00 ERA for three straight years, being used as a starter or out of the bullpen in 126 mesmerizing innings.

It’s easy to see how circumstantial this all is, Suzuki is hated by advanced metrics like FIP, but he is thriving because he is enticing hitters to put the ball in the air, but it’s being kept in the ballpark, partly due to how dead the ball has been in NPB, and since Suzuki’s pitches are so slow, hitters have to supply all the power, which they have failed to do.

If everything stays the same, the Carp have just scooped a solid 6th starter/funky reliever, which they sorely need after losing dependable veteran starter Aren Kuri to MLB.

Pacific League

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters – C/1B Kengo Yoshida (Hawks) A+

The youngest player taken in this draft, the Fighters went into the deepest well of under-utilized talent for the second straight year called the Hawks farm system, where last year they drafted OF Shun Mizutani, who was a breakout star in 2024. Yoshida, a 6th round pick out of college in 2022, was always going to struggle for playing time in Fukuoka, with veteran catcher Takuya Kai entrenched as the starter and several other prospects in front of him. But the young C/1B got a lot of time with the second team and showed good feel for contact at the plate, hitting .303/.357/.394 in 252 PA, striking out just 24 times while taking 16 walks.

The Fighters will integrate him to a already very deep group of catchers, with 4 different players making double-digit starts behind home plate this season with the farm club, and with Yua Tamiya emerging as the primary catcher for the top team,. Yoshida will probably be looked as more of a 1st baseman, and though competition is also stiff there with Kotaro Kiyomiya and Ariel Martínez, he is a intersting project down the line.

Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles – RHP Daichi Shibata (Swallows) D

A third-round pick by the Swallows out of Nippon Express (a railway company), Shibata has not provided the impact the Swallows hoped for, pitching just three innings at the NPB level. Shibata is seen as a pure reliever, mostly relying on his mid 90’s fastball and a splitter. The 27-year old posted a 2.17 ERA in 37 innings with Yakult’s farm team.

The Eagles had the worst bullpen ERA in the league so it is clear this was a major need for them, but I wish they could have gotten a younger, more projectable prospect, or a more established veteran with a better track record.

Saitama Seibu Lions – UTIL Taiga Hirasawa (Marines) B-

A highly-touted prospect in the 2015 NPB Draft, Hirasawa was selected by two teams, the Eagles and the Marines, the latter of which won his negotiation rights via lottery. Originally an infielder, Hirasawa has now played every position except catcher, never fully latching onto a consistent role due to his struggles at the plate. The former Marine hit just .190 over 6 NPB seasons, with not much power or speed. His best tool so far has been his eye, which he continued to show in 2024 with the second team, walking 59 times while striking out just 44 times in 290 plate appearances, but he still had a sub.700 OPS.

Luckily (or perhaps not) for Hirasawa, his batting woes will not feel out of place with his new team, the Seibu Lions. The Lions were historically bad in 2024, and their lineup was the main culprit, ranking dead last on almost every major offensive category. This is a worthwhile gamble on someone who was somewhat of a big-time prospect and has shown to have atleast one good tool, plus he is versatile. It’s not like he can’t be much worse than what they already have, right?

Chiba Lotte Marines – IF Masami Ishigaki (Dragons) D-

A third-round HS pick by the Dragons in 2016, Ishigaki played sparingly over 7 seasons, but couldn’t hit a lick when he got the chance (.396 OPS, 12 wRC+). The 26-year old did better on the farm, showing some of the pop that got him drafted, but none of his numbers scream “diamond in the rough” to me.

I am confused why teams did not look at Hawks 25-year old slugger Richard Sunagawa, who has been a top prospect with the best power in all of ni-gun, leading the Western League in homers for the past 4 seasons. He strikes out a lot, but I have no doubt he would be a much more interesting gamble than the one the Marines took here.

Orix Buffaloes – RHP Keisuke Honda (Lions) C+

The Buffaloes landed with 9-year NPB veteran RP Keisuke Honda, the 31-year old has been in Saitama since 2016 and has found spurts of success, particularly as a reliever. Honda had back-to-back sub 2.00 ERA seasons in 2022 and 2023, and even being named as an All-Star in 2022, but he failed to replicate it in 2024, where he posted a 4.11 ERA over 30 innings. Some indicators to explain this drop-off in production include a spike in his hard hit rate (29% in 2023 to 49% in 2024).

Orix’s bullpen was the 2nd best in the Pacific League by ERA, and their high-leverage roles are well taken care of by Luis Perdomo, Yuki Udagawa and Soichiro Yamazaki, Seryu Kotajima and Andres Machado, Honda will likely be in the mix for a middle relief role.

Fukuoka Softbank Hawks – RHP Taiga Kamichatani (Baystars) A-

The consolation prize of the Akira Neo and Kaito Kozono sweepstakes in the 2018 Draft, the Swallows and Baystars set their sights on Toyo University’s Taiga Kamichatani, who was seen as a NPB ready pitcher the moment he ended up as a Baystar. Kamichatani’s rookie year was promising enough, a 3.96 ERA in 24 starts with league average metrics. Sadly, it was his best year as a starter, and he converted to the bullpen in 2023. The change gave the 28-year old new life, posting a 2.11 ERA and his fastball velocity jumped from 88 to 91mph. Unfortunately, the right-hander lost his role with the top team in 2024 and spent most of his time with the second team, prompting Yokohama to nominate him. Kamichatani has been pitching for Algodoneros de Guasave in the Mexican Winter League as a starter, posting great results so far, with a 1.31 ERA over 6 starts mixing in a complete game shutout.

He now joins the team his former Baystars beat in the Japan Series, the Softbank Hawks, who will look to get to turn the former first-round picks career around, potentially back in the rotation.

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