Kiyohara’s Son Shogo Pursued by Unexpected Team Despite Acknowledging Skill Gaps

The activities of “Bancho” Junior are drawing attention.

Shogo (21), the eldest son of Kiyohara Kazuhiro (56), who had a remarkable career with the Seibu Lions, Giants, and Orix, hitting a total of 525 home runs, is a senior at Keio University. In an interview with “Number Web” (published on July 10), he mentioned, “I am aware that my skills are still far from being professional. However, if I can make significant progress this autumn…” He has indicated that he is focusing solely on pursuing a professional career and is not considering corporate baseball. 

“Shogo’s background is quite unusual. He played in a youth baseball team, was a member of the volleyball club at Keio’s affiliated junior high school, and participated in the American football club in high school. After a six-year hiatus, he resumed playing baseball in university. His time away from baseball coincided with the period when his father, Kazuhiro, was facing significant troubles. Kazuhiro went through a divorce from his wife, Aki, in August 2014, amid allegations of violence, and was arrested in February 2016 for violating the stimulant drug control law.

Due to his father’s repeated troubles, Shogo likely wanted to distance himself from baseball. The catalyst for his return to the sport was the COVID-19 pandemic. With his high school activities suspended, he began practicing baseball with his estranged father. Shogo reportedly rediscovered ‘the happiness of playing catch with his dad and the joy of baseball.’ He now wishes to show his father his success in the professional world as a way to repay him.” (Keio University insider)

Even with a six-year hiatus, he became the cleanup hitter at Keio University.

Shogo’s latent potential is likely very high. Despite a six-year hiatus and starting baseball again at university, he became the cleanup hitter for the prestigious Keio University in the spring Tokyo Six University League and was also selected for the Best Nine. However, this does not necessarily mean that professional teams will be quick to acquire him.

“While he showed clutch hitting in the spring Tokyo Six University League, his batting average was .269 and he hit no home runs. As he is aware, it will be quite challenging for him to succeed professionally. Being selected as the cleanup hitter after restarting baseball in university indicates significant potential, but if he were to enter the professional league, it might be more reasonable to consider him for a development contract.” (same source) 

However, Shogo faces special circumstances that make a development contract difficult.

“Can you really ask a team to take Shogo as a development player when his father, Kazuhiro, was a legendary figure in the sport? Even a low draft pick could be seen as a disrespectful act towards the legendary Kazuhiro. The same applies to Keio University, which produces promising players every year. Considering future relationships, teams might hesitate to take Shogo, who was the cleanup hitter at Keio, as a development player.” (sports newspaper reporter)

 

 

Given these challenges, are there teams willing to select Shogo despite his acknowledged lack of experience? The first team that comes to mind is Seibu, Kazuhiro’s former team, which has been struggling in terms of performance and popularity.

“Indeed, acquiring Shogo could boost attendance. However, Seibu has become very strict about compliance in recent years. They allowed the FA move of their key player, Yamakawa Hotaka, to SoftBank after sexual violence allegations surfaced, effectively releasing him. Kazuhiro’s name is also absent from the Lions’ Legends Games for OBs due to his arrest history. The chances of acquiring Shogo there seem quite low.” (same source)

An unexpected team is rumored to be interested in acquiring him. 

“It’s the Chunichi Dragons. Manager Kazuyoshi Tatsunami, who was a junior to Kazuhiro at PL Gakuen, maintains a close relationship with him. Tatsunami has also been observing the Dragons’ camp for three consecutive years and even threw the ceremonial first pitch at the Giants game on July 19. Chunichi, having struggled at the bottom of the standings for the past two years, is concerned about long-term fan attrition. If Tatsunami continues as manager next season, acquiring the promising Shogo could be a potential catalyst for revitalizing interest.” (same source)

Will “Kiyohara Junior” be drafted? The “fateful decision” that could greatly impact Shogo’s life will be made this autumn.