Keio University pitcher Kazuhiro Watanabe, who was selected as the third draft pick by the Softbank Hawks, pledged on the 24th to succeed as one of the 'Keio Four Brothers.' Two days after the draft meeting on the 22nd, he met with team executives who visited the school's baseball ground for a post-selection greeting. He renewed his determination, stating, 'I want to do my best to make my first-team debut from the start of the season.'

Among them, the popular trio known as the 'Keio Three Brothers'—consisting of Yanagimachi, Masaki, and Takashi Hirose, all Keio University alumni—have already expressed their eagerness for him to join the group. Yanagimachi is seven years his senior, and Masaki is five years his senior. 'I only know them by name, so I want to talk to them. I want to ask about the environment at Keio back then and the things they struggled with most after turning professional,' he said. Takashi Hirose, who is three years his senior, was the captain during his freshman year. When he reported that he had been drafted, he received a reply saying, 'Let's do our best as the Keio Four Brothers.' He added enthusiastically, 'I will work hard so that I can play an active role on the first team, just like Yanagimachi-san, Masaki-san, and Hirose-san.'

He is a top-level university left-handed pitcher expected to be an immediate asset. However, he is currently focused on his final autumn season, stating, 'We have the Waseda-Keio series scheduled for November 7th and 8th, and if we win, there is the Meiji Jingu Tournament. I think it would be wrong for the team if I were to focus only on my professional aspirations right now. I am a member of the Keio University baseball club, so I want to make sure I don't lose sight of that.' In the game against Meiji University at Jingu Stadium on the 19th, he left the mound after 17 pitches due to discomfort in his left shoulder, but he expressed his desire to pitch, saying, 'I hope to move forward at a good pace while consulting with trainers and doctors. If there are no issues, I want to pitch.'