Top MLB Draft Prospect Yuta Maeda, a Left-Hander From Takaoka Daiichi, Says: “I Want to See if My Fastball Can Compete Overseas”

A chance to grow

Yuto Maeda, a 156 km/h left-hander from Takaoka Daiichi High School (Toyama), reportedly looks up to Yugo Maeda of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, who has been virtually unstoppable this season (11 wins, no losses as of September 7). Once you hear that, it is strange how not only their names—“Yuto” and “Yugo”—but even their facial features begin to look alike.

“I admire him in every aspect, from his fastball and breaking pitches to all the skills a pitcher needs.”

Three years older, Maeda made a huge impact at Osaka Toin from the fall of his freshman year, but fell into a slump during his senior season and ultimately lost in the final of the Osaka tournament. However, after being selected for the U-18 Samurai Japan team, he led Japan to the World Cup title and, following a reassessment of his abilities, was selected in the first round of the draft. The Maeda from Hokuriku is now attempting to follow the same path.

Yuto Maeda may have fewer accomplishments than Shohi Oda of Yokohama High School, known as the monster of the Reiwa era, and Ryosuke Sueyoshi of Okinawa Shogaku, who was selected for the second consecutive year. Nevertheless, head coach Tatsuo Okada selected Maeda as one of Japan’s key pitchers for the U-18 Asian Championship.

During training camp, Maeda confided:

“I’m actually shy around people. But you don’t often get the chance to play alongside top-level players from all over the country. I’ve gradually gotten used to it, and now I can talk quite a lot. This is a chance for me to grow, and I want to see whether my fastball, which is one of my strengths, can hold up against players from overseas as well.”

Until last summer, he had been an unknown high school baseball player.

“When I entered high school, my fastball was around 130 km/h. After I started hitting 140 km/h last summer, I could feel the ball getting faster and faster, and baseball became more fun for me. The faster my fastball gets, the more I can make use of my other pitches. I’m small for a pitcher (173 cm tall), but I’ve increased the amount I eat to put on weight, and I’ve been doing weight training focused on my lower body as well as running drills. Above all, I feel like I’ve worked hard to increase my velocity.”

The reason behind his increased velocity

The unassuming young pitcher eventually earned the title of the best player in Hokuriku, and after being invited to the high school national team candidate training camp this spring, his name became known nationwide. His weight, which was 65 kg when he entered high school, had increased to around 74 kg by this summer. In the second round of the Toyama tournament, he recorded 156 km/h, tying the record for the fastest pitch ever thrown by a high school left-hander.

“I was surprised when I broke 150, but I never expected to reach 156 either. I think all the hard work I put in aiming for Koshien and the high school national team has finally paid off.”

However, Takaoka Daiichi lost to Takaoka Commercial in the semifinals of the Toyama tournament, and Koshien ultimately remained out of reach. Even so, believing he would be selected for the high school national team, he spent August refining the quality of his fastball.

“I’ve gradually become able to pitch more aggressively, rather than simply throwing fast. When I’m in a pinch, I can attack with the mindset of, ‘Come on, try to hit it.’ I think supporting the team is the role of an ace. That kind of mental growth has also been significant.”

Earlier this spring, when asked how he could throw such blazing-fast pitches despite his slender frame, the left-hander had shyly replied, “I don’t know.” But Maeda says that after six months, he has come to understand the mechanics a little better.

“I was always confident in my flexibility, but I think being able to use my entire body effectively as well has contributed to the increase in velocity. In the bullpen, I focus on maintaining balance in my form and carefully checking my body movements, so I don’t throw particularly fast there. But when I take the mound after working on these things, I can hit 150.”

His main challenge, he says, is sharpening his breaking pitches, such as his slider and changeup.

“I want to ask my teammates all sorts of things, like how they grip the ball, but I’m shy around people after all (laughs). So I try to learn by watching, and when there’s still something I don’t understand, I ask them directly. I feel like the movement and quality of my breaking pitches have improved since I started focusing on making sure my arm action is the same as it is when I throw my fastball.”

This year’s Nippon Professional Baseball draft will be held on October 22. He has already publicly stated his intention to submit a professional baseball application.

“I struggled with the decision. At first, my coach recommended that I go to university, and I thought to myself, ‘That could be an option.’ But some players lose their form after going to university, and in the end, my desire to turn pro while I’m still attracting attention won out. Like Maeda-san did at Osaka Toin, I want to make an impression with the national team and then turn pro.”

Simply being able to throw over 150 km/h as a left-hander makes him a rare prospect even at the professional level. By learning the finer points of pitching from the top players of his generation, Maeda is trying to carve out a path to the professional ranks.

From the September 25, 2026 issue of “FRIDAY”