It was revealed on the 11th that pitcher Musashi Nagayama (3rd year), a 147km/h right-hander from Nihon Wellness Okinawa who was selected by the Softbank Hawks as the 9th developmental draft pick, has declined to join the team. Nagayama stated on his Instagram, 'After the draft, I worried and thought about my future many times, and as a result, I made the decision to decline joining in order to challenge myself with baseball in America, which I have long admired.' This marks the third consecutive year that the Softbank Hawks have had a player decline to join, following pitcher Ryo Furukawa (Nihon Gakuen) who was selected as the 1st developmental pick in 2024, and infielder Rintaro Sasaki (Stanford University) who chose to join the MLB's Marlins after being selected as the 1st pick in 2025.

As a team, they selected Daisuke Motoki (Uenomiya) as their first-round pick in 1989 during the Daiei era, but he refused to join because he wanted to join The Giants. In 1967, during the Nankai era, they made selections up to the 16th round, and 10 players, including 10th-round pick Hideshi Kato (Matsushita Electric), declined to join the team.

In other organizations, in 1990, eight teams designated Hideo Koike (Ajia University) as their first-round pick, and Lotte, the team he explicitly called the 'one I want to avoid most,' won the lottery. He joined Matsushita Electric and entered the league two years later after being selected first by Kintetsu. In 1995, seven teams competed for Kosuke Fukudome (PL Gakuen) in the first round, and Kintetsu won the negotiating rights. As he had stated, 'If it's not my preferred teams (The Giants, Chunichi), I will join Nihon Seimei,' he eventually designated Chunichi as his choice three years later. In 1998, Nagisa Arakaki (Okinawa Suisan) clearly stated, 'If it's not Daiei, I will go to Kyushu Kyoritsu University,' but the Orix Buffaloes pushed through with a nomination and won the lottery. Four years later, he joined Daiei through the free acquisition slot.

In recent years, there have been cases such as Yujiro Yamaguchi (Riseisha) declining a 6th-round pick by Nippon-Ham in 2016 to join JR East. In the developmental draft, Yuichi Sato (Tokai University Sagami) declined being the 1st developmental pick for Chunichi in 2014 to join Honda Suzuka. In 2015, Yusuke Matsuzawa (Shikoku IL Kagawa) declined a 3rd-round developmental pick by The Giants due to injury, but he was drafted again by The Giants as the 8th developmental pick the following year in 2016 and joined the team.

Nagayama possesses a gifted physique at 180 centimeters and 89 kilograms, and has drawn attention as a two-way player. In this summer's Okinawa tournament, he started the first-round match against Shuri under the Ohtani Rule as the number three hitter, DH, and pitcher. Using his fastball, which reaches a top speed of 144 kilometers per hour, and his change-up as weapons, he delivered a brilliant performance where he struck out eight batters. Lotte scout Fukuzawa, who observed the game, gave a high evaluation, stating, 'His hitting is a type we don't have. The launch angle of his hits is increasing, which is attractive.' Softbank Hawks scout Kato also watched intently, noting, 'There is still plenty of room for growth.'

Musashi Nagayama. Born May 24, 2008, in Okinawa City. 18 years old. Started playing baseball at age 5 with the Miyazato Carp, and played for the rubber-ball baseball club at Miyazato Junior High. At Japan Wellness Okinawa, he joined the bench starting in the fall of his first year wearing number 5. In April, he participated in the U-18 Japan National Team candidate training camp. 180 cm, 89 kg. Right-handed pitcher, left-handed batter. The players he admires are Chisholm of the Yankees and Richard of The Giants. His family consists of his parents and an older sister.