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

Seibu Lions manager Fumiya Nishiguchi immediately paid a post-draft visit to Asia University pitcher Hiroto Kawajiri (21), who was selected as the team's first-round pick.

He left the draft venue midway and visited the university's Musashino Campus in Musashino City, Tokyo. He arrived slightly ahead of Hiroshima manager Arai, who had selected his teammate, infielder Takara Yamazato, as the first-round pick. He put his arm around him, conveying his high expectations for the golden prospect.

Kawajiri is a right-handed pitcher who boasts a maximum speed of 158 km/h. In the game against Kokugakuin University on the 13th, he achieved the 12th no hitter in the league's history, the first in 22 years, with a brilliant performance of 11 strike outs. He contributed significantly to the team's 28th overall championship title, their first since the spring of 2022.