[2026 Draft] Beyond the “Reiwa Monster” and the No. 1 Pick, There Are Other Golden Prospects… This Year Was a Treasure Trove of “Hidden Gems”!

Shoki Oda (18, Yokohama High School), known as the “Reiwa Monster”; Aoyama Gakuin University catcher Kai Watanabe (22); right-hander Yasunari Suzuki (22)… It’s not just these “first-round picks” who are expected to make an immediate impact.The 2026 draft was packed with “hidden gems”—promising prospects—even among the second-round picks and beyond.

Seiya Kakimoto (24), selected second overall by the Saitama Seibu Lions, said, “In high school, turning pro was a dream of mine, but it wasn’t realistic.Even after entering college, I aimed to become a ‘10-year player’ in the corporate league rather than turning pro. But then, in my second year in the corporate league, my team suspended operations, and I ended up becoming a professional baseball player—you never know what life has in store,” he said, reflecting on his tumultuous year.

Click here for Part 1: [2026 Draft] “Hidden Gems” Beyond the Second Pick! “It’s Not Just About the No. 1 Pick”—The True Value of These Golden Prospects

The “Problem Child” Label

Sho Mure (18) of Kyushu International University High School also experienced a turbulent year.Last fall, at the Meiji Jingu Tournament, he hit a massive home run over the back screen, helping his school win its first-ever national championship. Immediately afterward, Ichiro visited the school to coach him personally and praised his high potential, catapulting Mure’s name into the national spotlight.

However, just before the Spring Invitational Tournament, Mure violated school rules during a physical education class and was suspended from the tournament. Due to his rude behavior toward a teacher, Mure eventually became labeled a “problem child.”

“I truly regret my immaturity now. During high school, I caused a lot of trouble for my parents, my teachers, and my teammates on the baseball team. To repay them for everything they’ve done for me, I want to succeed in the professional leagues.”

After Mure submitted his professional draft application on September 1, eight teams reportedly requested interviews with him. However, this does not guarantee a draft selection. When I met Mure on the Kyushu National High School baseball field just before the draft, he bombarded me with questions.

“Which high school outfielder do you think is most likely to be drafted?”

“What kind of player is [Player Name]? Is he better than me?”

“Will I really get drafted?”—Given the ongoing internal team troubles even after the Spring Invitational, Mure had become deeply suspicious. However, in the draft, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters—who had successfully secured Yosei Komoda (17) of Yamanashi Gakuin as their sole first-round pick—selected Mure with their second-round pick.

“As a right-handed outfielder, I think my strength is my ability to hit powerful balls to all fields. I’m confident in both my arm and my speed.”

From Pitcher to Outfielder

One player who secretly views Mure as a rival is Soharu Tanaka (18) of Nichinan Gakuen High School in Miyazaki—another Kyushu team that competed in this summer’s Koshien tournament.

“We played together on the Kyushu All-Star team last year, and (Mure) stood out physically from everyone else—his hits were absolutely brutal,”

That said, Tanaka may have been the left-handed hitter who garnered the most praise at this summer’s Koshien.He excels at bat control and is a fine hitter who brings to mind Seichi Uebayashi (now with the Chunichi Dragons) from his days at Sendai Ikuei High School. Although he served as the ace pitcher at Nichinan Gakuen, he decided to give up pitching after suffering a loss in a game against Yokohama in which he gave up a grand slam, and will now compete as an outfielder in the pros.

“I think I was able to show at Koshien that I can handle any pitcher. I also think my ability to hit for power while maintaining a high batting average is one of my strengths. The player I look up to is Kensuke Kondo of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.”

Born in Miyakonojo City, Miyazaki Prefecture, he played for the Miyakonojo Senior League during junior high school. His career path up through junior high is exactly the same as that of Yuya Yanagi of the Chunichi Dragons, a senior teammate from the Senior League. He once greeted Yanagi, who was doing independent training in Miyakonojo City during his junior high years, and was told, “Good luck.”

As for Tanaka, powerhouse universities competing in the Sengoku Tōto League recruited him aggressively and held such high hopes for him that his university even granted him permission—for the first time in the school’s history—to “wait for the pros” (deciding whether to enroll in college pending the draft results). However, in the draft, he was selected in the sixth round by the Chiba Lotte Marines.

“First, I want to really build up my physical strength and become a player who can contribute to the first team in two or three years.”

First-round picks aren’t the only winners in a baseball career. Even if a player misses out on the first-round spot they aimed for, their evaluation as a professional depends solely on their performance after joining the team. The rise of these hidden gems is just beginning.

From the November 13–20, 2026, combined issue of *FRIDAY*