2026 Professional baseball Draft Conference supported by Lipovitan D (22nd)

Orix Buffaloes manager Mamoru Kishida sent a passionate message to Fuji University pitcher Futo Tsunoda, whom the team selected as their first-round draft pick. With aces Miyagi and Yamashita sidelined for long periods due to surgery, strengthening the starting rotation was a key priority. Tsunoda, who was selected without competition, is a ready-to-play right-hander with a maximum speed of 153 kilometers per hour. 'I believe he will become our savior,' Kishida said with emphasis.

For the past two years, they selected Nishikawa from Aoyama Gakuin University and Ishigaki from Ken-dai Takasaki as their first-round picks, competing with Lotte for both. They had lost two consecutive lottery draws. This is the first time in three years they have made a solo selection since Hijiri Yokoyama from Ueda Nishi in 2023. 'I was really nervous, wondering if the name Tsunoda would be called. He has a high strike out rate, and his breaking ball is quite mature. I hope he can join the rotation. I truly believe he will become our savior,' he said.