On the 22nd, Lotte announced that they would begin accepting applications for The Marines Junior Team (for 6th graders) to participate in the "NPB Junior Tournament KONAMI CUP 2026," scheduled to be held in late December, starting at 3 p.m. on the 22nd.

The program is open to sixth-grade elementary school students born between April 2, 2014 and April 1, 2015. The application period is from 3 PM on the 22nd to 3 PM on July 6th. The first selection round is scheduled for July 21st, 22nd, and 23rd. The selection round will include ball handling, long throws, swings, base running, and infield defense. The manager of The Marines Junior 2026 will be Yukihiko Sato, a The Marines alumnus and principal of The Marines Baseball Academy.

Starting with Raito Ikeda infielder (2011 Chiba Lotte Marines Jr. → 2nd-round pick in the 2021 draft), who currently plays for the Lotte Marines, the number of professional players baseball drafted from the The Marines Junior League has included, since its inception in 2005, Kondo (currently at Softbank Hawks),Gunji, Tamiya (both currently Nippon-Ham), Fujihira (currently Rakuten Eagles), Oikawa (currently Hanshin Tigers), and Ishizuka (currently The Giants)—a total of 17 players, the highest number among all 12 teams.

Manager Yukihiko Sato commented, "We Chiba Lotte Marines value not only improving skills through baseball, but also personal growth. In our junior team activities, under the top team's slogan, 'PLAY FREE. WIN HARD.', and with the motto 'Play hard, have fun, and win,' each and every one of us will strive to grow, never forgetting our gratitude to those who support us, and giving our all until the very end. Over the next four months, let's grow together, taking on various challenges with our teammates, so that we can become courageous, grateful, and trustworthy individuals. We are looking for teammates who want to take on the challenge with the goal of winning the 'NPB Junior Tournament KONAMI CUP 2026'. We look forward to your applications."