A high school baseball star has said he will pursue a career in Major League Baseball even after being taken with the first pick in Nippon Professional Baseball's draft, presenting the Japanese game with a problem it has met before. Pitcher Shoki Oda of Yokohama High School was selected first overall by the Yomiuri Giants in the latest draft, then declared his intention to try for the major leagues, Daily Shincho reported.
The case has revived memories of the so-called Tazawa rule, introduced after Junichi Tazawa chose to sign with an MLB club rather than enter NPB. The rule was later abolished after criticism. With Japanese and US clubs now competing harder for the same young players, domestic teams risk being left at a disadvantage.
A rule built for one pitcher, then dropped
The Tazawa rule took its name from the pitcher whose US move prompted it. It was set up to discourage amateur players from skipping NPB, and it drew criticism before it was scrapped. Oda's announcement has put the question back on the table: whether Japanese baseball can respect a high school player's dream while protecting its own development system and the fairness of the draft.
The concern raised is that high school baseball could become a hunting ground for MLB clubs, with the best arms signed abroad before NPB teams ever get to develop them. Daily Shincho framed the issue around whether Japanese baseball can afford to watch that happen without acting.