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

The Softbank Hawks selected a record total of 24 players, consisting of 9 players for the main roster and 15 developmental players. In the 9th round, they acquired the negotiating rights for pitcher Genei Sato from Pennsylvania State University, who has a maximum speed of 159 km/h. Tomohiro Nagai, the General Manager of Scouting and Player Development, spoke to the press after the draft meeting, revealing, "It wasn't that we went in with a guaranteed plan for success."

He transferred from Sendai University to Pennsylvania State University during his junior year. He moved to the United States with the hope of being selected in next summer's MLB draft. The team has been keeping a close eye on the right-hander, who is attracting attention even in the American baseball world, stating, 'Naturally, our scouts have gone to see and verify him.' Regarding his future, they noted, 'If things go smoothly, he will likely be drafted in the U.S. However, no one knows exactly how it will play out. In that case, we hold the negotiation rights.' Just like last autumn's first-round pick Rintaro Sasaki (currently with the Marlins), they will continue to monitor him while waiting for next summer's MLB draft.