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

Softbank Hawks selected Genei Sato (21), a right-handed pitcher from Pennsylvania State University with a maximum speed of 159 km/h, as their 9th round draft pick. Sato joined the Japanese national team last summer during his third year at Sendai University for the USA-Japan Collegiate Championship, contributing to their third consecutive title. He had transferred to the university this summer with his sights set on a future MLB challenge. A surprise awaited at the very end of the 76 players selected for the main roster.

Last season, they made a surprise first-round pick of Rintaro Sasaki from Stanford University (now with the Marlins), who had a strong desire to play in the Major Leagues. After winning the negotiation rights following a competition with DeNA, the signing was ultimately not realized.

The scout in charge, Shogo Yamamoto, gave Sato a high evaluation, calling him a 'top-class power pitcher of his generation boasting a maximum speed of 159 km/h.' He commented, 'His power pitching, including his fork and slider, even overpowered the American team at last year's Japan-USA University baseball Championship.' Furthermore, he expressed high expectations, stating, 'He possesses the potential to aim for double-digit win as a starter, and there is no doubt his ball has the power to handle winning situations as a reliever from his first year.'