Lions announce players not returning for 2022

 

One of the hardest things to the end of any NPB season is saying farewell to many players as they're cleared out to make way for the new draft picks. 

The Lions announced their second wave of players who won't be offered a contract for 2022. This includes P Shunta Nakatsuka, C Hitoto Komazuki, P Hiromasa Saito, P Sho Ito, P Kaito Awatsu, IF Ryusei Tsunashima, P Mitsuo Yoshikawa and ikusei C Daichi Nakaguma. 

Earlier, the Lions announced P Daiki Enokida, P Ryuya Ogawa as well as ikusei pitchers Shinsaburo Tawata and Jiyu Okubo would not be returning. 

Nakatsuka was a second round draft pick in 2016. In his ichi-gun debut, he recorded two outs, but walked the next three batters without throwing a strike and was taken out unable to finish a game. He spent the entire 2021 season in ni-gun. 

Ito was a third round draft pick in 2017 out of the Shikoku Island League. He was used as a spot starter, but could never keep his role at the ichi-gun level. The Lions are expected to bring him back under an ikusei contract after he had Tommy John surgery.

Mitsuo Yoshikawa is remembered for mostly being a Fighters pitcher and the Lions brought him in under a low risk contract. He saw five appearances at the ichi-gun level in 2021 with no signs of promise. 

Saito was the Lions first round pick of 2017, yet despite recording a win as a long reliever, he couldn't keep his job at the ichi-gun as he'd be destroyed when pitching. At best, he could eat some innings, but failed to play an ichi-gun game in 2021. 

Awatsu saw one ichi-gun appearance in 2019 under mop up duty, but couldn't earn more as he stayed in ni-gun for the rest of his career. He was a fourth round draft pick in 2018. 

Komazuki was originally drafted as an outfielder in 2011, but made the switch to catcher after the 2015 season. He was an emergency third catcher at the ichi-gun gun level and recorded only one base hit in 2019. The Lions plan to keep him around the organization as a non-player. 

Nakaguma was an ikusei pick in 2018 and his initial three years of control gave expired. The Lions are likely to give him another ikusei contract in 2022. 

Enokida came to the Lions in 2018 as part of a trade with the Hanshin Tigers for Yosuke Okamoto and had his best career season as a rotation starter. This magic couldn't last in 2019 and his role kept diminishing as time went on. 

Ogawa came from the Chunichi Dragons in a midseason trade for 2018 as he became a situational reliever. However, his ichi-gun time plummeted down to five games in 2021. 

Tawata was once the wins leader in NPB for 2018 and remembered as a first round draft pick of the Lions I'm 2015. He had been on an ikusei contract since 2020 as health had been a problem. 

Okubo was an ikusei draft pick in 2018. His departure announcement was part of the first wave of senryokugai. 

In addition to Ito and Nakaguma, the Lions are expecting bring back Saito and Awatsu on ikusei contracts in 2022. 

We wish the best for these departing players in their next endeavors. 

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2021 NPB Draft: A summary of each Lions pick

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The Saitama Seibu Lions and all 11 other NPB teams took part in the NPB Draft on October 17. Everyone felt they got better, removing some deadweight while picking up some fresh blood in the process. Here is a summary of each Lions draft pick:

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P Chihiro Sumida (隅田 知一郎)

College: Nippon Nishi Kogyo (Fukuoka)

High School: Nagasaki Hasami (Nagasaki)

Date of Birth: August 20, 1999

Height: 177 cm (5' 9")

Weight: 76 kg (168 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Left/Left

Sumida can top out at 150 km/h (93 mph) with a versatile arsenal of pitches including a cutter, slider, two-seamer, changeup and fork. He was the consensus best player available and the Lions won his rights in a four way drawing. 

Team quote: "The selling point is that there are various types of pitches as well as his fastball. He's pitcher who can be part of the starting rotation."

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P Shunsuke Sato (佐藤 隼輔)

College: Tsukuba (Ibaraki)

High School: Sendai (Miyagi)

Date of Birth: January 3, 2000

Height: 182 cm (6' 0")

Weight: 83 kg (183 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Left/Left

Sato has a max velocity of 152 km/h (94 mph) with the repertoire of a fastball, slider and changeup. He had one of the fastest pitches for a left-handed pitcher and was thought to be a fallback first round option, but fell to the early second round. Sato should be a rotation candidate.

Team quote: "Live left arm. He can be a starting player in the future."

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C Yuto Koga (古賀 悠斗)

College: Chuo (Tokyo)

High School: Fukuoka Ohori (Fukuoka)

Date of Birth: September 10, 1999

Height: 174 cm (5' 9")

Weight: 85 kg (187 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Right

Koga has a pop speed of 1.9 seconds and can hit for both power and average. After playing as an infielder, he secured the catcher position in his sophomore year. With Masatoshi Okada as a pending free agent, he can compete for a backup role with Sena Tsuge.

Team quote: "A strong-shoulder catcher with hitting power. He can be a regular catcher in the future."

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P Shinnosuke Hada (羽田 慎之介)

High School: Hachioji Gakuen (Tokyo)

Date of Birth: December 25, 2003

Height: 191 cm (6' 3")

Weight: 85 kg (187 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Left/Left

Hada can top out at 149 km/h (93 mph) while able to throw a cutter, slider, curve, changeup and splitter. In his junior season, he caught notice of scouts with 39 strikeouts in 34 innings. An injury limited his senior year where he was a reliever. Born in Saitama prefecture, Hada also played for the Lions junior team in middle school. 

A 3/4 arm slot, Hada has drawn comparisons to Masaki Oyokawa of the Hanshin Tigers. Hada is a raw pitcher who lacks control, as his walk rate was also high. 

Team quote: "A large left arm full of ability from Lions Junior team. He's a player with potential and growth potential."

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P Masaya Kuroda (黒田 将矢)

High School: Hachinohe Kogyo (Aomori)

Date of Birth: January 24, 2004

Height: 188 cm (6' 2")

Weight: 78 kg (172 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Right

Kuroda's top velocity is 149 km/h (93 mph) as he can throw a slider, curve and fork. He was a two-way player in high school where he also played outfield and was batting 5th in the lineup. As the school's ace, he carried his team to the Aomori prefectural finals before coming up just short of qualifying for summer Koshien. The Lions think he can develop into a hard throwing reliever. 

Team quote: "His main weapon is his angled fastball and fork that can be thrown downward from a taller pitcher. He can be a pitcher who can strike out batters in time."

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IF Seigo Nakayama (中山 誠吾)

College: Hakuoh (Tochigi)

High School: Seirantaito (Tochigi)

Date of Birth: May 9, 1999

Height: 190 cm (6' 3")

Weight: 99 kg (218 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Left

Nakayama is an athletically gifted infielder who can play 1B, SS and 3B. He was the cleanup hitter since his sophomore year at Hakuoh University and had a strong autumn 2020 season for his senior year. Nakayama can be an infielder with power potential. 

Team quote: "An infielder with a large build. His aggressive hitting was attractive."

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Ikusei

C Takeru Furuichi (古市 尊)

Independent League Team: Tokushima Indigo Socks (Tokushima)

High School: Takamatsu Minami (Kagawa)

Date of Birth: June 15, 2002

Height: 178 cm (5' 10")

Weight: 70 kg (154 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Right

Furuichi has a pop speed of 1.8 seconds and can also play outfield. He has physical tools to succeed at the next level, but specializes in base running. The Lions liked his throwing arm in particular. 

Team quote: "Outstanding shoulders and young age being attractive. We hope he can make an effort and level up as a catcher first."

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IF Natsuo Takizawa (滝澤 夏央)

High School: Sekine Gakuen (Niigata)

Date of Birth: August 13, 2003

Height: 167 cm (5' 6")

Weight: 64 kg (141 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Left

Takizawa is a two-way player, but the Lions see him as an infielder who mostly played shortstop and also second base. He specializes in speed and defensive range and also hit for average by his senior year. 

Team quote: "He has a sense of speed in everything. He can become a defensive specialist." 

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P Shinya Sugai (菅井 信也)

High School: Yamamoto Gakuen (Yamagata)

Date of Birth: June 28, 2003

Height: 182 cm (6' 0")

Weight:  75 kg (165 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Left/Left

Sugai can hit 143 km/h (89 mph) with an arsenal of a slider, curve and changeup. He drew attention from scouts during a game in the Yamagata prefectural tournament where he had 10 consecutive strikeouts ad 17 total for the game. A tall and lanky pitcher, the Lions think his breaking balls and off speed pitches can draw whiffs. 

Team quote: "Impressive left arm. We liked him because he can strike out hitters with a slider. He needs to build his body first and work hard to be a starter in the future."

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OF Keishin Kawamura (川村 啓真)

College: Kokugakuin (Tokyo)

High School: Nihon Bunri (Niigata)

Date of Birth: September 6, 1999

Height: 173 cm (5' 8")

Weight: 83 kg (183 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Left

Kawamura was the second hitter in the lineup an is a light hitting outfielder. He had a high batting average in his senior year and won multiple awards for his accomplishments. Kawamura will need to bulk up if he wants to make it to the ichi-gun. 

Team quote: "A power hitter with a well-balanced average."

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In closing

The Lions addressed their left-handed pitching depth while also taking several flyers in the ikusei round. Hitting is a short term concern, but they have faith in their recent draft picks to develop. 

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Lions land Sumida as first round pick in 2021 draft

 The Saitama Seibu Lions ended up with the top consensus player in the 2021 NPB draft with winning the draft rights to LHP Chihiro Sumida on Monday night. 

In a four team draw, the Lions, Carp, Giants and Swallows all contested the rights to Sumida. Lions Managing Director Mitsuo Iida drew the winning ticket when putting his hand in the box first. His name was trending all over Twitter afterwards. Coming into the draft, the Lions didn't decide their representative until the the day itself. 

With this win, it's the first time the Lions have won a draft lottery on their initial pick since 2010. They previously lost on drawings in 2017, 2018 and 2020. 

Sumida comes from Nishi-Nippon Kogyo (Institute of Technology) out of Fukuoka. On paper, he can play into the rotation immediately with the Lions lacking left-handed arms. 

"I've been happy since Seibu nominated me," Sumida said in a press conference "From now on, I'm glad that I can jump into the world of professional baseball, become the left arm representing Japan, and carry the Hinomaru on my back. I'll do my best."

With Fukuoka inspirations, Sumida hopes to resemble a career like Tsuyoshi Wada or Shota Imanaga as a left handed pitcher. 

Iida representing the Lions during the drawing drew just as much attention as Sumida himself. Relatively unknown in the baseball operations department, Iida worked his way up Seibu Holdings through Seibu Railway where he was once a station master in Ikebukuro. He's been working with the Lions since 2015 and held his current title since 2019. 

Normally, he accompanies the team and does work behind the scenes. One time, he gained attention during the pennant Hawaii trip in 2019 and was part of a staged magic show. 

Here are all the draft picks for the Lions in 2021: 

Main Draft: 

1. LHP Chihiro Sumida (Nippon Nishi Kogyo University, Fukuoka)

2. LHP Shunsuke Sato (Tsukuba University, Ibaraki)

3. C Yuto Koga (Chuo University, Tokyo)

4. LHP Shinnosuke Hada (Hachioji Gakuen High School, Tokyo)

5. RHP Masaya Kuroda (Hachinohe Kogyo High School, Aomori)

6. IF Seigo Nakayama (Hakuoh University, Tochigi)

Ikusei Draft:

1. C Takeru Furuichi (Tokushima Indigo Socks, Tokushima)

2. IF Natsuo Takizawa (Sekine Gakuen High School, Niigata)

3. LHP Shinya Sugai (Yamamoto Gakuen High School, Yamagata)

4. OF Kenshin Kawamura (Kokugakuin University, Tokyo)

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We will have a more detailed report after further research.

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Lions announce Sumida as draft pick nomination

 The Saitama Seibu Lions announced LHP Chihiro Sumida will be their first round draft pick nomination for the 2021 NPB Draft. They became the first team to announce their draft pick. 

Sumida is a top pitching prospect out of Nishi-Nippon Kogyo University in Fukuoka. His draft rights will likely be contested. 

Lions General Manager Hisanobu "Nabe-Q" Watanabe had full confidence in this pick, saying it was a unanimous decision by their staff. 

"Sumida has high potential and can play the game well," said Nabe-Q. "He has firm control."

The Lions rotation has lacked left-handed pitchers with a veteran in Tetsuya Utsumi, who is 39 years old, while Shota Hamaya is only in his second year. If they were to win Sumida's draft rights, he could be inserted into the starting rotation right away. 

Recently, the Lions staff saw Sumida's last game in Izuka, Fukuoka and he confirmed why they liked him. This is the first time the Lions have made their draft pick public since wanting Roki Sasaki in 2019. The last time they won a drawing for their initial first round nomination, it was in 2010 when Nabe-Q had the winning ticket for Tatsuya Oishi. Nabe-Q won a backup drawing for Tatsushi Masuda in 2012 while Hatsuhiko Tsuji won a fallback draw for Tetsu Miyagawa in 2019. 

The Lions have some of the worst pitching ERA and run scoring offenses in the league. They feel Sumida is the best talent available. 

"There is no left-handed pitcher in the starting rotation," said Nabe-Q. "I think that if he throws normally with his ability, he will be a force."

The NPB Draft will take place on Monday, October 11. 

Lions don't have it in 2021, but it could be worse

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The Saitama Seibu Lions are all but eliminated from any chance at the postseason with a recent series loss to the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters over the weekend.

This hasn't been a fun year from an offensive standpoint aside from Tomoya Mori. 

At this rate, it's a about Takumi Kuriyama reaching 2,000 career hits. 

It was great enjoying Kaima Taira's run of scoreless outings before it ended, but the bullpen before him just isn't there. Other problems include Zach Neal's regression to a lack of home runs and hitting for average. 

Despite all of this, it could be worse. You could be an Oakland Athletics fan.

The A's are currently in the midst of a playoff race with other top opponents in the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees for the wildcard and possibly the Houston Astros for the AL West division, yet there is a sense of doubt.

 They could win out yet find a way to lay an egg in the postseason even if they get hot. 

Worst part about it? They're in their window of contention, no rebuilding allowed. Some players underperformed while at other times, they can look defeated and flat against contenders.

It's also likely manager Bob Melvin is a puppet just following orders from the front office, presumably Billy Beane. There's no heart or passion on the field when it matters most. 

The common story is an offense swinging for the fences and hoping to "luck" into a championship instead of actually addressing some glaring needs, besides peaking at the wrong time. 

While it isn't the most fun watching the Lions in the midst of this year, at least they're rebuilding with several inexperienced players in all positions at the ichi-gun level. 

It wasn't good hearing about Takeru Sasaki's suspension for being with his girlfriend, however, we can only hope it's a short term bump in his career to learn from.

Kona Takahashi, Tatsuya Imai and Wataru Matsumoto have been positives in this season, though the bullpen problems have forced them to stretch their outings to 7-8 innings if possible. 

Relievers are a strange bunch, where a pitcher can look great one year and bad the next. In this case, keeping Tatsushi Masuda has backfired for 2021 when he was about to enter free agency. Can only hope he rebounds.

It didn't help to give Yuji Kaneko an extension either, who is under contract with the team through 2023. This goes same for Ken Togame, who is mostly a reliever. 

It's harder even for the foreigners in 2021 with no one showing a case to get a contract for 2022. Reed Garrett is too inconsistent to be a setup man, Matt Dermody gave up too many hits even in mop up duty, Neal's aforementioned regression continues and Cory Spangenberg has also taken a step back.  Not mention Ernesto Mejia requesting a release, where it wasn't necessary to bring him back.

At least the younger position players are getting experience. From Junichiro Kishi to Aito (Takeda), Sena Tsuge and even Gakuto Wakabayashi. 

There's an ugly amount of growing pains for now and if the offense stays bad, it may be time to Hatsuhiko Tsuji to step down. Let's enjoy the ride for what it is and hope there won't be a pennant celebration in front of the Lions. 

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Lions add Kumon, Hiranuma in trade with Fighters

 

The Saitama Seibu Lions acquired IF Shota Hiranuma and P Katsuhiko Kumon from the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in exchange for IF Ryusei Sato and OF Fumikazu Kimura on Thursday morning. The NPB trade deadline was extended into August due to the Olympics. 

Hiranuma, who turns 24 on Monday, was originally a fourth round draft pick of the Fighters out of high school in 2015. His most productive ichi-gun season came in 2019 with a slashline of .236/.291/.333 in 73 games. Hiranuma's playing time continued to diminish since. 

Kumon, 29, was traded for the second time in his career with the first happening after the 2016 season. As a left-handed middle reliever, he took several medium leverage innings as a setup/situational pitcher. His playing time diminished in 2020. Kumon was originally drafted by the Yomiuri Giants in 2012. 

Sato, 24, was the Lions' seventh round draft pick in 2018. He initially made the ichi-gun in 2019 and saw time as a defensive replacement at 3B. His career went South in 2020 when he broke a team rule by going golfing with a teammate and went speeding, causing trouble with the law. The Lions suspended him for the entire 2020 season as a result. Sato only saw 11 ichi-gun games in 2021. 

Kimura, who turns 33 in September, was a starting outfielder for the Lions. He was initially drafted as a pitcher in 2006 before making the full time switch to OF in 2013. His peak season came in 2018 where he slashed .260/.330/.413 in a part time/defensive replacement role. Kimura entered the 2021 season on pace to reach domestic free agency, but he fell out of favor with only 20 ichi-gun games in 2021. 

This trade is a flyer for both teams to pickup a relatively young player thrown in with a veteran. For the Lions, they could use left-handed bullpen help with Kumon. They're also hoping Hiranuma can be cheap infield depth as he can play 3B and 2B. He's a fast slap hitter, but even in a worst case scenario, Hiranuma can be a pinch runner. 

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2021 Summer Koshien: Schools with Lions ties

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After both Koshien tournaments were cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the summer edition of 2021 kicked off on August 10. 

With tradition we will mention each school in this year's tournament with a 2021 Lions connection. . This is officially the 103rd edition. 

While the games already started and several school eliminated, they will still get recognition. 

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Appearance stats are for Summer Koshien only

Hokkai (South Hokkaido, 39th appearance, first since 2017): OF Seiji Kawagoe, OF Daisuke Togawa, IF Ryusei Sato, P Jiyu Okubo 

Hokkai is remembered for making the finals in 2016, only to lose to the champions. Kawagoe and Sato were both taken out of university with both players receiving limited ichi-gun playing time and the former is a converted pitcher. Sato was suspended for speeding in 2020 and is a reserve. 

Togawa and Okubo were high school draft picks in the ikusei rounds of 2014 and 2018, respectively with the former earning a promotion. 

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Tohoku Gakuin (Miyagi, first appearance): P Keisuke Honda

Honda has been a back-end starting pitcher for the Lions, but his inconsistently has not led to frequent ichi-gun action. He currently remains in ni-gun. 

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Sakushin Gakuin (Tochigi, 10th consecutive appearance, 16th overall): P Tatsuya Imai

Imai was the ace for Sakushin Gakuin's 2016 championship. He is currently a front end starter in the Lions rotation and had an all-star game appearance in 2021. 

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Maebashi Ikuei (Gunma, 4th consecutive appearance, 5th overall): P Kona Takahashi

Takahashi carried Maebashi Ikuei to a Koshien title in the school's first appearance back in 2013. He is currently the ace of the Lions. 

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Urawa Gakuin (Saitama, 14th appearance, first since 2018): P Yutaro Watanabe

Watanabe was a second round draft pick in 2018 while he participated in the school's last appearance. He made his ichi-gun debut in 2021 and has seen mixed results as a reliever. 

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Shizuoka (Shizuoka, 13th appearance, first since 2018): OF Shohei Suzuki

Suzuki has been a part time outfielder for the Lions since 2020, but struggles to stay around as a starter. 

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Aikōdai Meiden (Aichi, 13th appearance, first since 2018): P Ken Togame

"Meiden" is famously known as the high school of Ichiro Suzuki. Togame has been a starter for most of his Lions career, but switched to relief after struggling in 2020. 

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Yokohama (Kanagawa, 19th appearance, first since 2018): P Daisuke Matsuzaka, Coach Masahiro Abe

Daisuke Matsuzaka became a legend from high school as he won Koshien in 1998, throwing a no-hitter in the midst of that run. Players around his age are known as the "Matsuzaka Generation." While a great pitcher prior to 2007, he has yet to appear in an ichi-gun game in this current stint with the Lions. Abe serves as an ichi-gun batting coach. 

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Tsuruga Kehi (Fukui, 3rd consecutive appearance, 10th overall): IF Shinya Hasegawa

Hasegawa was an ikusei draft pick of the Lions last October straight out of high school. Tsuruga Kehi is mostly known for Masataka Yoshida among active NPB players. 

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Osaka Toin (Osaka, 11th appearance, first since 2018): IF Takeya Nakamura, C Masatoshi Okada, C Tomoya Mori, OF Yuta Nakamigawa

The Lions pipeline with Osaka Toin continued when they took Nakamigawa in the 7th round of the 2020 draft. Mori has the most successful high school career, winning both Spring and Summer Koshien in 2012 with Shintaro Fujinami as his pitcher.  Okada was the catcher for Sho Nakata in high school and serves as the Lions backup today. Nakamura needs no intro as he's the franchise leader in home runs. 

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Meitoku Gijiiku (Kochi, 2nd consecutive appearance, 21st overall): OF Junichiro Kishi

Kishi was a pitcher in high school and actually lost to Mori's Osaka Toin team in a tournament. An 8th round pick in 2019 out of Indy ball, he has seen more ichi-gun games in 2021 and even spent time as the Lions leadoff hitter in centerfield. 

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Nishi-Nippon (Fukuoka, 6th appearance, 11th overall): P Ren Omagari 

Ren Omagari was the Lions 5th round draft pick last October out of University. Notably, he was a rubber ball pitcher and is currently in ni-gun.  

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Shōnan (Kagoshima, 20th appearance, first since 2016): P Shota Hamaya

Hamaya was a second round draft pick of the Lions in 2019 as a shakaijin. He saw a handful of ichi-gun starts, but couldn't keep his rotation spot. He remains in ni-gun. 

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Okinawa Shogaku (Okinawa, 2nd consecutive appearance, 9th overall): P Kaito Yoza

"Okisho" was home to Softbank Hawks pitcher Nao Higashihama. Yoza went to university and the Lions drafted him in 2017. A submarine pitcher, Yoza battled an injury, spent time under an ikusei contract and eventually made his debut in 2020. He was a starter last season, but is mostly a reliever in 2021. 

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