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

Yudai Maeda (3rd year), a pitcher from Takaoka Daiichi (Toyama) who is attracting attention as one of the best left-handers of his generation, was selected in the second round by Lotte. He beamed with joy, saying, 'I am filled with feelings of happiness.'

A hard-throwing left-handed high school pitcher who clocked 156 km/h, the fastest for his age group, during this summer's Toyama Tournament. He boasts a high strike out ability, as evidenced by his achieving a no hitter with an astonishing 20 strike outs in a single game during the same tournament.

In September, he was selected for the high school national team to compete in the 14th U-18 Asian Championship, contributing to their runner-up finish. Although not large at 173 centimeters tall, he received high evaluations from various professional teams as a left-hander with great potential, capable of unleashing powerful fastballs from a flexible pitching form.

Although he was once nicknamed the 'Monster Left-Hander of Toyama,' he is actually right-handed and uses his right hand for chopsticks and pens. The reason he became a left-handed pitcher was that his father, Koichi, who had baseball experience, gave him a left-handed glove during his childhood because he 'had a bit of a longing for left-handed pitching.' Regarding the origin of his breakthrough, Koichi said, 'Looking at how things turned out, I'm glad I made him a left-handed pitcher.' The left-hander also smiled shyly, saying, 'I guess my father's decision was correct.'

His mother, Yukari, was overcome with emotion, saying, "I didn't even understand how the draft system worked, so I was wondering how his name would be called. When his name appeared, seeing the name we gave him made me feel..." Just as his name was intended to mean "so that many people would gather around him," his teammates and classmates were there to watch the fateful moment. Yukari expressed her gratitude, saying, "He has been helped and supported by so many people up until today, and he has done so well to get this far." Maeda's eyes sparkled as he said, "I am who I am today thanks to my parents, so I want to do my best to succeed in the pros and give back to them."

Yuto Maeda. Born January 23, 2009, in Takaoka City, Toyama. 17 years old. Started baseball in the second grade of elementary school and played rubber-ball baseball at Nansei Junior High School. At Takaoka Daiichi, he joined the bench with number 18 in the summer of his first year and has worn the ace number since the autumn of his second year. 173 cm, 70 kg. Left-handed pitcher and left-handed batter.