2026 Senbatsu Special Future Samurai Japan Talent Including Player Dubbed Next Ohtani Set to Shine at Koshien
Special Report on the 2026 Senbatsu Tournament (Part 1)
The opening day of the 98th Senbatsu, signaling the arrival of the spring high school baseball season, is March 19. Shoki Oda of Yokohama (Kanagawa), who won last year’s tournament, and Ryosuke Sueyoshi, the left-handed ace of last summer’s champion Okinawa Shogaku—though underclassmen, both made names for themselves and will return to the sacred ground this spring as third-year students. However, there are talents who could seize the spotlight from them and become top draft prospects in the future.
Yosei Komoda (Pitcher & Infielder, Yamanashi Gakuin, rising junior)
First is Haruki Komoda of Yamanashi Gakuin, who boasts an extraordinary build at 194 cm tall and 102 kg. As seen with Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki (both now with the Dodgers) during their high school days, tall players always face the risk of injury if their bodies are not yet developed enough to handle the output. Komoda also injured his right elbow during last summer’s semifinal against Okinawa Shogaku and had to leave the game. His coach, Koji Yoshida, has since used him cautiously. Komoda said:
“Until last year, my training was about 70% as a batter and 30% as a pitcher. Now it’s about 80% pitching and 20% batting, and I’ve increased my throwing and pitching. It was a winter where I grew as a pitcher.”
It was an unexpected comment. Komoda is a two-way player who has already hit 33 home runs in his high school career ahead of Senbatsu, drawing high expectations for his batting as well. When asked whether he intends to focus on pitching in the future, he clearly answered, “Yes.”
“At this stage, I think there are advantages to doing both pitching and batting. Practicing as a fielder improves agility and sharpness, while being able to throw strong pitches and having flexibility as a pitcher also helps in fielding.”
Compared to Oda and Sueyoshi, who made sensational debuts in their first-year summers and have already experienced becoming national champions, Komoda’s body and pitching technique are still very much a work in progress—yet that is exactly why his potential feels so vast.
Starting this spring, the designated hitter (DH) rule will also be introduced in high school baseball. Like Ohtani, Komoda could bat as a DH while pitching and continue hitting even after leaving the mound.
“For the team, it broadens our offensive options, and for me, during the hot summer, when I’m not pitching, I can rest on the bench during defense as a DH and focus on preparing to pitch. I don’t see any downsides.”
At the tournament draw where team captains gathered, Komoda stood out head and shoulders above the rest, constantly surrounded by people, and during interviews, he attracted more reporters than anyone else. When asked about Yamanashi Gakuin’s top-tier facilities, he responded humbly:
“Even though we all play the same baseball, what we can or can’t do depends on the school. For example, Nagasaki Nishi (a public school selected under the 21st Century slot) has all commuting students, so their practice time is very limited. We live in a privileged environment with dorms and great facilities, but there’s a lot to learn from players who maximize their performance under limited conditions.”
Last spring, his team lost in the second round, and last summer, they exited in the semifinals. His third appearance at Koshien will also be a chance for redemption.
“Koshien is a beautiful stadium, and the mound’s slope suits me well. Because it’s such a special stage for high school players, it brings out extra strength. But in my past two appearances, I’ve experienced a lot of frustration. I believe I can only repay that at Koshien.”
Fumiya Akama (Hanamaki Higashi, pitcher & outfielder, 3rd-year)
At Hanamaki Higashi in Iwate—known for nurturing world-class talent like Shohei Ohtani—there are two right-handed power hitters. One is third baseman Daito Furuki, whose father is former Yomiuri Giants player Shigeyuki, and the other is outfielder and pitcher Fumiya Akama.
In a game against Ikuei (Hyogo) held two days after official games resumed, it was Akama who hit a massive home run with a wooden bat. The left-throwing, right-handed batter drove the ball to right-center—his opposite field—for a home run, and later in the game hit another ball that struck the right-center fence late in the contest.
Head coach Hiroshi Sasaki also called Akama over to the bench after his at-bat and praised him, saying, “That opposite-field hit was excellent.” He then happily told the writer behind the backstop, “Right now, Akama’s batting is in better form than (captain) Furuki.”
Akama said shyly:
“It wasn’t so much that I aimed for the opposite field—I just hit the outside pitch naturally without forcing it (laughs).”
Still, being left-handed but batting right-handed is unusual. He said no one ever tried to correct it when he started playing baseball.
“I’m left-handed, but when I picked up a bat, I naturally swung right-handed, so I just kept doing it. Right now, pitcher Yusei Kikuchi (Angels) and Ohtani are performing in the WBC, and I want to become a player like them.”
From “FRIDAY” combined issue March 13 / 20, 2026.
Reporting and writing： Yuji Yanagawa (non-fiction writer) PHOTO： Yuji Yanagawa (Akama) AFLO