June 23, 2019, Toyama — With the June draft now behind us, we can get a glimpse into the thoughts of the new GM regime by taking a look at where the team focused.  Clearly, that focus has been on the mound.  The team selected eleven players, eight of them (including the first four selections) were pitchers.

 “I’m very pleased with our collection of ballplayers,” the Cliff Hangers said through a newly-hired spokesmodel.  “The team added some good prospects to an area where we’re really quite thin.

 That the team’s prospect list on the hill is thin, is probably a fair assessment–though the team does have a few interesting candidates in Yamauchi and Cagliostro, none are exactly eye-popping.  It could be argued, though, that the guys the team brought in with this draft don’t pop at the eyes any more than the current crop do. 

 Let’s take a run through them and see what we can see.

Round 1 – Pick #11: Closer, Shihei Matsubara RHP, 21 years old — Matsubarra’s diminutive height (5’11:) hides the fact that he throws 99 MPH.  Scouts say that both his fastball and curve are major-league quality already, and the Cliff Hangers appear to think he’s ready to jump into AAA, but his 4+ ERA during his last college season has to make close-watching fans more than a shade nervous.

Round 2 – Pick #2: SP, Hisanobu Harada LHP, 21 years old — Though Harada is a lefty, and throws hard, and though he has four pitches, he would seem to be a contender for the bullpen at best, and quite honestly looks like more than a bit of a stretch for the second round.  “We absolutely love Hisanobu,” the team’s spokesmodel explained.  “He will be a great leader, and his keen sense of the game will wear off on all the ballplayers around him.”  Sounds spooky to us.

Round 2 – Pick #6: MR Toyozo Kukuda RHP, 21 years old — Fukuda is a fine physical specimen, and again, throws hard.  He already throws a quality fastball and curve, and has a pair of sidecar pitches.  Perhaps the most versatile pitcher of the lot, so far.  But not exactly eye-popping.  Look for him to begin in single-A.

Round 2 – Pick #11: SP Kikaku Sizuki RHP, 18 years old — The team pulls another deep pick, this time grabbing a player of remarkable height (6’7″) at 18 years old.  Perhaps the biggest question here is whether Suzuki will agree to become a Cliff Hanger, or accept a position on the national basketball team.  Assuming he comes to the team, Suzuki is clearly a project under construction, though the signs are positive — he throws fairly hard for a high schooler, and his control is already notable.

Round 3 – Pick #5: SS Yujiro Endo, Bats Left, 21 years old — Endo is known to be a bit of a head-case, and probably fell for that reason.  But he is also known to be a marvel in the field, and at 6’2″, 210 pounds, is, perhaps the most graceful, athletic, and dashing player in the draft.  The team’s spokesmodel blushed at the mention of his name and a question about what she thought of his prospects.  “He could play shortstop for my team any day,” she said.

Round 3 – Pick #7, CL Munemitsu Taketo RHP, 18 years old — The team was rumored to be happy to see Taketo fall into their laps here.  He throws only 86 MPH, but at 18 that velocity has time to come in.  He’s registered to solid seasons in high school, and is expected to join the squad’s A-ball team quickly.  The team considers him a hard-worker, and says that his delivery is deceptive.

Round 4 – Pick #4, OF Katsumoto Yamaguchi, Bats Left, 18 years old — Yamaguchi hit 29 homers as a 16 year-old, and still has a swing that generates power.  He also runs well, and has the tools to develop into a solid defensive outfielder.  A bit of a project, but probably a worth-while one.  Again, the team has openly praised Yamaguchi’s work ethic.

Round 5 – Pick #4, SS Kiemon Ine, Bats Right, 21 years old — Though his bat held its own in college, he projects more as a utility kind of guy at the INT level.  His glove is solid, (he could probably play defense with Lupin now), and he’s spedy (21 steals in 29 attempts in school).  Not a terrible value for round five.

Round 6 – Lupin had no choices

Round 7 – Pick #4, CL Toru Rin, LHP, 18 years old — Rin is an interesting selection in that he’s damaged goods (with a torn rotator cuff), and his performance in high school was good, but not spectacular).  Still, what more do you want in the 7th round?

Round 8 – Lupin had no choices

Round 9 – Pick #4, MR Ieyoshi Fijii, RHP, 18 years old — Who?

Round 10 – Pick #4, MR Yukinaga Ikeda, LHP, 18 years old — Probably better than Fijii, but then who isn’t?

Will these players form the core of the next great LRS team?  Hard to say.  Right now our magic 8 ball says “Don’t Hold Your Breath.”  But these are kids, and kids have  a tendency to show growth, so anything is possible.