[Draft] Nippon-Ham makes a solo first-round pick of Haruki Komoda from Yamanashi Gakuin; Manager Shinjo smirks; Unique strategy of starting 'from the best player' | Pacific League.com

[Draft] Nippon-Ham makes a solo first-round pick of Haruki Komoda from Yamanashi Gakuin; Manager Shinjo grins as the unique strategy of 'starting with the best player' pays off

Sports Hochi

October 22, 2026 17:06

Nippon-Ham manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo applauds after successfully securing the sole nomination for Komoda (Photo by Atsushi Ando).

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

Nippon-Ham selected pitcher Haruki Komoda (Yamanashi Gakuin) as their first-round pick. Upon hearing the selection, Komoda watched on without changing his expression. There were no picks from other teams, making it a solo selection, and Manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo celebrated with applause, showing a smile to Team President Masaru Komura and others sitting next to him.

On this day, Manager Shinjo appeared without his trademark mask, wearing a double-breasted black suit with a black shirt, a purple-toned tie, and light-tinted sunglasses. After taking his seat, he removed his sunglasses and put on a black mask as he waited for the draft meeting to begin.

In Manager Shinjo's fifth season this year, the team finished third in the league and advanced through the first stage of the Climax Series by winning two consecutive games after losing the opener. However, they suffered three straight losses in the final stage, falling to the Softbank Hawks for the third consecutive year.

They have consistently followed their own unique path in the draft. As Acting GM Masao Kida asserted after the scouts' meeting on the 13th of this month, saying 'We have always selected the best players,' the 2024 first-round draft pick Leo Shibata followed the same path as Shohei Ohtani, making his 'two-way' debut as the 'number 7 batter and pitcher' in the game against Hiroshima at Mazda Stadium on June 4th.

Nippon-Ham's first-round draft picks over the past 10 years

2016 x Seigi Tanaka (Soka University) Pitcher

x Chihaya Sasaki (Obirin University) Pitcher

Mizuki Hori (Hiroshima Shinjo) Pitcher

2017 Kotaro Kiyomiya (Waseda Jitsugyo) Infielder

2018 x Akira Neo (Osaka Toin) Infielder

Kosei Yoshida (Kanaashi Agricultural High School), Pitcher

2019 x Roki Sasaki (Ofunato) Pitcher

Ryusei Kawano (JFE West Japan) Pitcher

2020 Hiromi Itoh (Tomakomai Komazawa University) Pitcher

2021 Kota Tatsu (Tenri) Pitcher

2022 Kota Yazawa (Nippon Sport Science University) Pitcher