Seibu Lions select Haruto Yamada and Keito Kawajiri in Draft

The Seibu Lions have secured two significant pitching talents through the recent draft. Haruto Yamada, who previously played for the Lions as a fifth-round pick, spoke about the professional debut of his former Omi High School teammate, Sena Hoshino, who was selected as the first-round pick by DeNA.

Yamada reflected on their shared history in Shiga Prefecture, noting their close bond during their high school years and their shared commutes. While Yamada has primarily served as a reliever, he expressed a desire to transition into a starting role, inspired by the professional entry of his peers.

Additionally, the Lions selected Keito Kawajiri from Asia University as their first-round pick. Kawajiri, a tall pitcher capable of reaching 158 km/h, expressed his ambition to achieve double-digit wins and win the Rookie of the Year award. He cited Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto as an inspiration and aims to become a representative pitcher for Japan.