Kenny Ishikawa (22), pitcher from the University of Georgia, was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 13th round, 392nd overall, in the Major League Baseball draft held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 12 (October 13 Japan time). His position was listed as "two-way player" on the MLB official website.

Ishikawa was also selected in the sixth round by Orix Buffaloes in the NPB draft last October, but has not yet signed a contract. His name was not called in the fourth round (135th overall) on the 11th (12th in Japan), the first day of the MLB draft, but he received good news on the second day. Similarly, Stanford University infielder Sasaki (21), who was selected in the first round by Softbank Hawks in the NPB draft last fall, was selected in the eighth round (235th overall) by the Marlins. These two are the first players to be selected in the MLB draft immediately after being selected in the NPB draft.

Last November, General Manager Fukura and Orix Buffaloes officials visited the university to formally announce the draft selection. Ishikawa released a statement through the team expressing his gratitude, saying, "Being drafted by a Japanese professional baseball team like Orix Buffaloes is one of the greatest honors of my life."

His future options center on three main paths: signing with the Reds, joining the Orix Buffaloes, or remaining at the University of Georgia. The deadline for negotiations with MLB this year is 5:00 p.m. on the 27th of this month (Eastern Time; 6:00 a.m. on the 28th, Japan Time), while the deadline for negotiations with NPB teams is the 31st of this month—both deadlines are fast approaching.Yuichi Kohama, the team’s general manager, issued a statement saying, “Of course, our primary hope is that he will join the Orix Buffaloes, but since this is his life, we will respect his decision.” The team’s roster currently stands at 67 players out of a 70-player limit. All that remains is to await the decision of the 22-year-old left-handed two-way player.

◆Kenny Ishikawa Born April 7, 2004, on Oahu, Hawaii. Age 22. He played for Seya Little Senior while attending Yokohama Municipal Hara Junior High School, and then went on to Meishu Gakuen Hitachi High School. He was on the bench from his freshman year at Asia University, but went to the US midway through his sophomore year and entered Seattle University in 2014. In his first year in the US, he made 19 appearances as pitcher, with a record of 5 wins and 6 losses and ERA 4.21, and played in 52 games as hitter, hitting 8 Home Run, driving in 32 RBI, and batting .318. This season at the University of Georgia, he made 10 appearances as pitcher, with a record of 1 win and 1 loss and ERA 14.44, and played in 48 games as hitter, hitting 3 Home Run, driving in 21 RBI and left-handed batter.