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

Rakuten Eagles selected Aoyama Gakuin University catcher Kai Watanabe as their first-round draft pick and successfully won the rights to him after a competitive draw with Chunichi. General Manager Ishii called out from the podium, saying, 'Since we have formed this connection, the team will support you so that you can become a top-tier player. Let's work hard together. It will probably take about 20 minutes to get here, so I look forward to working with you.'

After that, Softbank Hawks and Lotte competed for pitcher Taisei Suzuki from the same Aoyama Gakuin University, and the Softbank Hawks won the negotiation rights. CBO Jojima called out from the stage, "I definitely want you to contribute to four consecutive championships in Fukuoka. Mr. Ishii said 20 minutes, but I'll make it 15 minutes," which drew a huge laugh from the venue.