On the 21st, the Softbank Hawks held their final pre-draft scouting meeting at a hotel in Tokyo. CBO Kenji Johjima left room for speculation regarding the potential forced selection of Yokohama's Shoki Oda, a pitcher who has expressed his intention to challenge the American leagues, stating, "We haven't made a final decision yet."

Last year, they made a surprise first-round pick of Rintaro Sasaki from Stanford University and won the negotiating rights after a lottery with DeNA, but he did not join the team. If they nominate Oda, there is a possibility they could lose their first-round pick for the second consecutive year. The CBO stated, 'We can't afford to have it happen two years in a row, but it's not impossible. We haven't made a final decision yet. He is undoubtedly an attractive player, so we are currently weighing our options. I don't think the chances of success are zero. Is it something we should let slip away without even trying? We have to decide by tomorrow. Our evaluation of him is unwavering.'