2015 Nippon Professional Baseball draft
The 2015 Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Draft was held on 22 October 2015 at the Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa to assign amateur baseball players to the NPB. It was arranged with the special cooperation of Taisho Pharmaceutical Co. with official naming rights. The draft was officially called "The Professional Baseball Draft Meeting supported by Lipovitan D".
Summary[]
This was the third year in a row that Taisho Pharmaceuticals had been a partner for the NPB draft and as such one of their most prominent products "Lipovitan D" was used in the official name becoming "Professional Baseball Draft meeting supported by Lipovitan D."[1]
Only the first round picks were allowed to be contested with all picks from the second round onward being based on table placing in the 2015 NPB season in a waiver system. Waiver priority was changed from All-Star game results to inter-league results. As the Pacific League teams came out on top with 61 wins, 44 losses and 3 draws against Central League opposition, Pacific League teams were given preference. From the third round the order was reversed continuing in the same fashion until all picks were exhausted.
For the first time since 1974, the Yomiuri Giants were without a manager present at the draft. In the previous instance, that year's manager Tetsuharu Kawakami was to be replaced by Shigeo Nagashima who was absent due to his participation in the MLB Japan All-Star Series having still been an active player.[2]
88 new players were signed at the draft with a further 28 development player contracts decided on.[3]
Lottery Mistake[]
In the competition for the signature of Meiji University's Shun Takayama between Tokyo Yakult Swallows and the Hanshin Tigers there was an error leading to some trouble at the meeting.[4]
At the lottery, both team managers Tomoaki Kanemoto and Mitsuru Manaka both pulled their tickets and it was Manaka who pulled his ticket first mistaking the draft logo for the "winning" stamp, raising his fist in a victory pose. Kanemoto, after seeing the Swallows manager's delight, felt that he had lost and went back to his seat without checking his ticket.
After checking the "winning" ticket, NPB officials realized immediately that there had been a mistake but before other officials could check the Hanshin ticket, an interview with Manaka had already started. In regards to this, NPB secretary general Atsuhi Iihara later apologized "we should have stopped the interview but we couldn't. It was a clumsy piece of work." After it was confirmed that Hanshin had indeed won the rights to negotiate, Kanemoto laughingly remarked "it was like a homerun that had been taken away by video replay."[5]
In the aftermath, Takayama made comment that "it was a meeting where you didn't now what was going to happen, I certainly didn't, but I'm very appreciative to have been selected in the first round of picks."[6] The mistaken Manaka, commented "please return my celebration."[7] As a result of the systems trouble, the draft was delayed by 10 minutes.
First Round Contested Picks[]
| Player Name | Position | Teams Selected by | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Round | Taiga Hirasawa | Infielder | Rakuten、Lotte |
| First Round | Jumpei Takahashi | Pitcher | Chunichi、Nippon Ham、SoftBank |
| First Round | Shun Takayama | Outfielder | Hanshin、Yakult |
| Second Round | Shinnosuke Ogasawara | Pitcher | Chunichi、Nippon Ham |
- Bolded teams indicate who won the right to negotiate contract following a lottery.
Selected Players[]
| * | Player did not sign |
|---|
- The order of the teams is the order of second round waiver priority.
- Bolded After that, a developmental squad player (ja:育成選手制度 (日本プロ野球)) who contracted as registered player under management (ja:支配下選手登録).
Pacific League[]
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles[]
| Pick | Player Name | Position | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Louis Okoye | Outfielder | Kanto Daiichi High School | |
| #2 | Infielder | Osaka University of Commerce | ||
| #3 | Eigoro Mogi | Infielder | Waseda University | |
| #4 | Catcher | Shizuoka Senior High School | ||
| #5 | Pitcher | Honda | ||
| #6 | Yuichi Adachi | Catcher | Panasonic | |
| #7 | Infielder | Otsuka Senior High School | ||
| Development Player Draft | ||||
| #1 | Infielder | Tsuda Gakuen High School | ||
| #2 | Infielder | Komono High School | ||
Orix Buffaloes[]
| Pick | Player Name | Position | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Masataka Yoshida | Outfielder | Aoyama Gakuin University | |
| #2 | Pitcher | Panasonic | ||
| #3 | Koji Ohshiro | Infielder | Rikkyo University | |
| #4 | Pitcher | Toyota Motors | ||
| #5 | Ryo Yoshida | Pitcher | Tokai Sagami High School | |
| #6 | Pitcher | Sendai Ikuei High School | ||
| #7 | Infielder | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Nagoya | ||
| #8 | Pitcher | J-Project Corp | ||
| #9 | Pitcher | Saginomiya Seisakusho | ||
| #10 | Yutaro Sugimoto | Outfielder | JR East | |
| Development Player Draft | ||||
| #1 | Pitcher | Hakuoh University | ||
| #2 | Catcher | Kagawa Olive Guyners | ||
Saitama Seibu Lions[]
| Pick | Player Name | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Shinsaburo Tawata | Pitcher | Fuji University |
| #2 | Pitcher | Hokkai Gakuen University | |
| #3 | Shogo Noda | Pitcher | Seino Transportation |
| #4 | Outfielder | Hanasaki Tokuharu High School | |
| #5 | Pitcher | JR Shikoku | |
| #6 | Keisuke Honda | Pitcher | Tohoku Gakuin University |
| #7 | Infielder | Daiichi Institute of Technology | |
| #8 | Pitcher | Daiichi Institute of Technology | |
| #9 | Pitcher | Hirosaki Technical High School | |
| #10 | Pitcher | Kagawa Olive Guyners |
Chiba Lotte Marines[]
| Pick | Player Name | Position | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Taiga Hirasawa | Infielder | Sendai Ikuei High School | |
| #2 | Ryota Sekiya | Pitcher | JR East | |
| #3 | Pitcher | Akita Commerce & Business High School | ||
| #4 | Taiki Tojo | Pitcher | JR East | |
| #5 | Pitcher | Senshu University Matsudo Senior High School | ||
| #6 | Pitcher | Miyazaki Umeda Gakuen | ||
| #7 | Keisuke Takano | Pitcher | JR West | |
| Development Player Draft | ||||
| #1 | Infielder | Kagawa Olive Guyners | ||
| #2 | Catcher | Nihon University College of International Relations | ||
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters[]
| Pick | Player Name | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Kenta Uehara | Pitcher | Meiji University |
| #2 | Takayuki Katoh | Pitcher | Shin Nittetsu Sumikin Kazusa Magic |
| #3 | Kazutomo Iguchi | Pitcher | Tokyo Nogyo University Hokkaido Okhotsk |
| #4 | Infielder | Tsuruga Kehi High School | |
| #5 | Pitcher | Nippon Bunri University | |
| #6 | Infielder | Keio University | |
| #7 | Pitcher | Tokai University | |
| #8 | Outfielder | Osaka Kaisei High School |
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks[]
| Pick | Player Name | Position | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Jumpei Takahashi | Pitcher | Gifu Commercial and Business High School | |
| #2 | Reiji Kozawa | Pitcher | Nihon University Mishima Senior High School | |
| #3 | Kenta Tanigawara | Catcher | Toyohashi Chuo High School | |
| #4 | Kenta Chatani | Pitcher | Teikyo Daisan High School | |
| #5 | Infielder | Hatsushiba Hashimoto Senior High School | ||
| #6 | Hikaru Kawase | Infielder | Oita Commercial and Business High School | |
| Development Player Draft | ||||
| #1 | Pitcher | Tsukuba Shuei High School | ||
| #2 | Pitcher | Kanagawa University | ||
| #3 | Catcher | Tokyo Nogyo University Hokkaido Okhotsk | ||
| #4 | Pitcher | Luther High School | ||
| #5 | Pitcher | Iizuka High School | ||
Central League[]
Yokohama DeNA BayStars[]
| Pick | Player Name | Position | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Shota Imanaga | Pitcher | Komazawa University | |
| #2 | Kento Kumabara | Pitcher | Sendai University | |
| #3 | Tatsuhiro Shibata | Infielder | Kokugakuin University | |
| #4 | Yasutaka Tobashira | Catcher | NTT West Japan | |
| #5 | Kakeru Ayabe | Pitcher | Kasumigaura High School | |
| #6 | Koki Aoyagi | Outfielder | Osaka Toin High School | |
| #7 | Takuto Nogawa | Pitcher | Saginomiya Seisakusho | |
| Development Player Draft | ||||
| #1 | Keisho Amiya | Catcher | Chiba Eiwa High School | |
| #2 | Infielder | Kyushu International University Senior High School | ||
| #3 | Pitcher | Kwansei Gakuin University | ||
Chunichi Dragons[]
| Pick | Player Name | Position | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Shinnosuke Ogasawara | Pitcher | Tokai Sagami High School | |
| #2 | Yu Satoh | Pitcher | Tohoku Fukushi University | |
| #3 | Takuya Kinoshita | Catcher | Toyota Motors | |
| #4 | Hiroto Fuku | Pitcher | JR Kyushu | |
| #5 | Toshiki Abe | Infielder | Honda | |
| #6 | Ryota Ishioka | Infielder | JR East | |
| Development Player Draft | ||||
| #1 | Seiya Nakagawa | Pitcher | Aichi University | |
| #2 | Shu Yoshida | Pitcher | Tokushima Indigo Socks | |
| #3 | Takuya Mitsuma | Pitcher | Musashi Heat Bears | |
| #4 | Pitcher | Seijoh University | ||
| #5 | Pitcher | Hachinohe Gakuin Kosei High School | ||
| #6 | Masaru Watanabe | Outfielder | Tokai University | |
Hiroshima Carp[]
| Pick | Player Name | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Akitake Okada | Pitcher | Osaka University of Commerce |
| #2 | Hiroki Yokoyama | Pitcher | NTT East Japan |
| #3 | Pitcher | Hanamaki East High School | |
| #4 | Catcher | Oji Paper Company | |
| #5 | Ryoma Nishikawa | Infielder | Oji Paper Company |
| #6 | Oscar Nakaoshi | Pitcher | Honda |
| #7 | Infielder | Yamagata Chuo High School |
Hanshin Tigers[]
| Pick | Player Name | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Shun Takayama | Outfielder | Meiji University |
| #2 | Seishiro Sakamoto | Catcher | Meiji University |
| #3 | Daichi Takeyasu | Pitcher | Kumamoto Golden Larks |
| #4 | Atsushi Mochizuki | Pitcher | Yokohama So-Gakukan High School |
| #5 | Koyo Aoyagi | Pitcher | Teikyo University |
| #6 | Yutaro Itayama | Outfielder | Asia University |
Yomiuri Giants[]
| Pick | Player Name | Position | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Toshiki Sakurai | Pitcher | Ritsumeikan University | |
| #2 | Shinnosuke Shigenobu | Outfielder | Waseda University | |
| #3 | Pitcher | Futenma High School | ||
| #4 | Shingo Usami | Catcher | Josai International University | |
| #5 | Infielder | Keio University | ||
| #6 | Pitcher | Iwakura High School | ||
| #7 | Kota Nakagawa | Pitcher | Tokai University | |
| #8 | Infielder | Nippon Paper Group | ||
| Development Player Draft | ||||
| #1 | Infielder | Tokushima Indigo Socks | ||
| #2 | Catcher | Musashi Heat Bears | ||
| #3 | [8] | Outfielder | Kagawa Olive Guyners | |
| #4 | Infielder | Musashi Heat Bears | ||
| #5 | Pitcher | Musashi Heat Bears | ||
| #6 | Pitcher | Chinzei High School | ||
| #7 | Pitcher | Musashi Heat Bears | ||
| #8 | Pitcher | Ishikawa Million Stars | ||
Tokyo Yakult Swallows[]
| Pick | Player Name | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Juri Hara | Pitcher | Toyo University |
| #2 | Taishi Hirooka | Infielder | Chiben Gakuen High School |
| #3 | Keiji Takahashi | Pitcher | Ryukoku University Heian High School |
| #4 | Pitcher | Kochi Chuo High School | |
| #5 | Kotaro Yamasaki | Outfielder | Nihon University |
| #6 | Daiki Watanabe | Infielder | Senshu University Matsudo High School |
References[]
- ^ "ドラフト会議の特別協賛社に大正製薬(Draft Meeting's special partner Taisho Pharmaceuticals)". Nippon Professional Baseball (in Japanese). Retrieved 21 July 2016.
- ^ "【巨人】41年ぶり監督不在��ラフト、抽選くじは堤GMが(Giants first time in 41 years without a manager at the draft. Lottery ticket to be pulled by GM)". Sports Hochi (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2016-04-08. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
- ^ "新人選手88名の交渉権が確定 (88 new player negotiations decided)". Nippon Professional Baseball (in Japanese). Retrieved 21 July 2016.
- ^ "真中監督、外れなのにガッツポーズ 金本監督は起死回生 (Swallows manager Manaka raises fist despite not winning, Tigers skipper Kanemoto resucitated)". Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
- ^ "金本監督「ビデオ判定でホームランの心境」くじ逆転(Tigers Manager Kanemoto: "it was like a homerun had been taken away by video replay" raffle reversal)". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). Retrieved 21 July 2016.
- ^ "アクシデントに明大・高山も困惑(Meiji Uni's Takayama also troubled by accident)". Daily Sports (in Japanese). Retrieved 21 July 2016.
- ^ "「あのガッツポーズを返してください」／真中監督 (Please return my celebration - Manager Manaka)". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). Retrieved 21 July 2016.
- ^ "怪我のため入団を辞退(Unable to join Giants due to injury)". Independent Baseball League Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2015-11-21. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
External links[]
- プロ野球ドラフト会議 supported by リポビタンD - NPB.jp Nippon Professional Baseball
| Preceded by 2014 |
Nippon Professional Baseball draft | Succeeded by 2016 |
- Nippon Professional Baseball Draft
- 2015 Nippon Professional Baseball season
- 2015 in baseball
- Baseball in Japan
- October 2015 sports events in Japan