[Draft] Rakuten Eagles select Aoyama Gakuin University's Kai Watanabe, the number one amateur catcher, as their first-round pick. Past first-round picks like Tatsumi, Hayakawa, Shoji, and Muneyama have become key players. Aiming for a comeback next season from last place | Pacific League.com

[Draft] Rakuten Eagles selected Aoyama Gakuin University's Kai Watanabe, the number one amateur catcher, as their first-round pick. Past first-round picks such as Tatsumi, Hayakawa, Shoji, and Muneyama have become key players, and the team aims for a counterattack next season after finishing in last place.

Sports Hochi

October 22, 2026 17:05

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

Rakuten Eagles selected the number one amateur catcher, Kai Watanabe from Aoyama Gakuin University, as their first-round draft pick.

This season, the team suffered a sharp decline after May and finished in last place. Manager Yoshii took over mid-season and is currently aiming to rebuild the team.

The batting lineup struggled with a lack of scoring power, finishing last in the league with 473 runs, but there are many bright spots. Muneyama, Nakajima, and YG Yasuda each performed well in the second half of the season. With the team's main slugger McCusker also certain to stay, there are high expectations for further improvement next season.

Regarding the catchers, the mainstay Ota has acquired free agency rights this season, and his future remains uncertain. The hard-hitting YG Yasuda is often used at first base, meaning the depth of the catcher rotation cannot be described as strong.

Looking at the pitching staff, there are many exciting players. Shoji, the 2022 first-round draft pick who served as the opening day pitcher, showed growth in the final stages of the season and recorded a career-high 9 wins. He has also won the title for most strike outs. High-ability young starters like Koja and Tatsuki Ito are also waiting in the wings. The ace Hayakawa and veterans Kenta Maeda and Kishi provide a sense of stability and are reassuring presences. In the bullpen, in addition to the closer Fujihira, players like Tai and the rookie Kutani are also emerging. If they can increase their depth, they have the potential to become a pitching powerhouse.

Last year, they acquired Fujiwara with their first pick and the right-handed pitcher Tatsuki Ito with their second pick. They delivered promising performances toward the end of the season. By strengthening their roster through the draft, they aim to reach the top of the standings next season.

Rakuten Eagles' first-round draft picks over the past 10 years

2016 Naomichi Fujihira (Yokohama) Pitcher

2017: Kotaro Kiyomiya (Waseda Jitsugyo), Infielder

x Munetaka Murakami (Kyushu Gakuin) Catcher

Hiroki Kondo (Okayama Shoka University) Pitcher

2018: Missed - Kyota Fujiwara (Osaka Toin) Outfielder

Ryosuke Tatsumi (Ritsumeikan University) Outfielder

2019: Roki Sasaki (Ofunato), Pitcher

Hiroto Kobukata (Osaka Gas) Infielder

2020 - Takahisa Hayakawa (Waseda University) Pitcher

2021, Soshi Yoshino (Shohei), Outfielder

2022 - Kosei Shoji (Rikkyo University) Pitcher