Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Four seasons later: Grading the 2019 Seibu Lions Draft

 


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First round: P Tetsu Miyagawa (Toshiba, Kanagawa)

The Lions attempted to go for Roki Sasaki with three other teams, but they zero control over the drawing as any representative would be the last to put their hand in the box. 

As Tadahito Iguchi drew the winning ticket for the Chiba Lotte Marines, the Lions had to settle for plan B which Miyagawa's rights were contested with the Yomiuri Giants. 

On the field, Miyagawa struggled to keep an ichi-gun job from location and more. He took a lot of low to medium leverage innings in 2020, but couldn't thrive off of it. His best year was in 2022 when the Lions had a loaded bullpen to take them into A-class.

In 2023, the Lions tried to use him as a spot starter where he had only one good outing. He was traded to the Yakult Swallows shortly after the Active Player Draft for Hiyu Motoyama. 

With the Lions not finding a role for him as he enters his Age 29 season, it was best to cut their losses and move forward.  It wouldn't be surprising if the Lions designated him as the second of two players required in the 2023 Active Player Draft. This is the price they pay for losing out on Sasaki's rights. 

Grade: D-

Hindsight: Hiroshima Carp took Masato Morishita unopposed. Orix took Hiroya Miyagi as their third choice. Rakuten took Hiroto Kobukata as their second choice. 

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Second round: P Shota Hamaya (Mitsubishi Hitachi, Kanagawa)

Drafting at the end, the Lions took a shakaijin with the hopes Hamaya could help right away. 

He got a taste of action in 2020 and 2021 as a reliever and spot starter, but failed to take the next step. Hamaya has been buried in ni-gun for the last two seasons, one of which where he came off surgery. 

Grade: F

Hindsight: Lions were the last pick of this round and couldn't take anyone, but Orix ended up with Kotaro Kurebayashi. 

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Third round: P Koki Matsuoka (Saitama Musashi Heat Bears, Saitama)

The Lions reached into the independent BC League for their third round pick.  Matsuoka saw a taste of ichi-gun action in 2020 and 2021 in mop up duty, but couldn't earn more time. 

At the conclusion of the 2022 season, he was selected by the Fighters in the inaugural Active Player Draft and failed to play an ichi-gun game in 2023. After staying in ni-gun for the entire year, he's currently under an ikusei contract with the Fighters. 

Grade: F

Hindsight: Marines took Akito Takabe

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Fourth Round: IF Ryota Kawano (Kyushu Gakuin, Kumamoto)

Kawano has only played five ichi-gun games in 2022. He has one sacrifice fly and one base hit to his name.

With only 41 ni-gun games in 2023, time could be running out with the Lions taking a infielder in the most recent draft. 

Grade: D

Hindsight: Lions were drafting at the end of this round.  Swallows took Hiroki Ohnishi. 

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Fifth Round: C Sena Tsuge (Honda Suzuki, Mie)

The Lions again went the shakaijin route and has Tsuge lined up with the possibility of losing Tomoya Mori in the future.  

Tsuge is a solid backup catcher when you value his defense. However, he lost the starting job to someone younger. 

Grade: C+

Hindsight: Dragons took Yuki Okabayashi

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Sixth round: P Hiroki Inoue (Nichidaisan, Tokyo)

Inoue was thought to have upside for his fastball and high velocity. He earned four games at ichi-gun in 2021, but never made an appearance since. 

Poor performance in 24 ni-gun games for 2023 has dropped him to Ikusei status.

Grade: D-

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P Towa Uema (Tokushima Indigo Socks, Tokushima) 

Uema made his debut in 2021 as a necessity due to no foreign pitchers on the roster at the start of the season. He earned one win and appeared in five games total with spot starts included.

However, Uema has surgery on his elbow after the season and has remained an ikusei pitcher since 2022. The Lions were forced to senryokugai him after 2023, but he is still an ikusei entering 2024. 

Grade: D


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IF/OF Junichiro Kishi (Tokushima Indigo Socks, Tokushima)

With the team having a lack of depth in the outfield, Kishi was a starting outfielder in 2021 with 100 games and 80 of them being starts, earning his own ouenka song. 

However, his bat is not enough to be an everyday player and he was used in rotation for 2022-2023. He's decent enough as depth, but given he was much older coming in out of the Shikoku Island League, there is no upside.

Grade: C

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P Toshihiro Idei (Kanagawa University, Kanagawa) 

Drafted for his athleticism, Idei never earned a promotion to the 70-man roster and was given a fourth year for a chance at redemption in 2023. The Lions officially put him on senryokugai one last time and he remains with the team as a farm staff member for batting practice and scorekeeping. 

Grade: Incomplete

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Overall: F

This is a class you don't want to look at. The Lions came in last place for 2021, a first since 1979, their inaugural season in Tokorozawa moving from Fukuoka. Much of it had to do with this class failing to support with their shakaijin draft picks. Even Miyagawa faltered in games and stayed in ni-gun that year, where they finished in last by one game. 

When Kishi and Tsuge are the best players in this group, it's awful. 


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