Shotaro Morii
| Shotaro Morii | |
|---|---|
| Athletics | |
| Infielder / Pitcher | |
| Born: December 15, 2006 Fuchū, Tokyo, Japan | |
Bats: Left Throws: Right |
Shotaro Morii (森井翔太郎, Morii Shōtarō; born December 15, 2006) is a Japanese professional baseball infielder and pitcher in the Athletics organization.[1]
Amateur career
Morii attended Toho High School in Kunitachi, Tokyo, where he hit 45 home runs in his high school career and recorded a top pitch speed of 153 km/h (95 mph).[2]
Professional career
Although he was considered one of the top prospects for the 2024 NPB draft, Morii chose to forgo the draft in order to sign with a Major League Baseball organization.[3][2] On January 15, 2025, Morii signed with the Athletics for a $1,510,500 signing bonus, the largest ever given by an MLB team to a Japanese amateur position player.[4][5]
Morii made his pitching debut for the Single-A Stockton Ports on May 14, 2026, throwing a scoreless inning.[6]
References
- ↑ "Shotaro Morii Amateur & College Leagues Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 9, 2026.
- 1 2 Mio, Kei (January 16, 2025). "桐朋・森井翔太郎がアスレチックスと2億3621万円で契約！高校からのMLB挑戦はトレンドとなるか？". Yahoo! News Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved July 15, 2026.
- ↑ "2024 NPB Draft Preview". Yakyu Cosmopolitan. September 22, 2024. Retrieved July 15, 2026.
- ↑ Borek, Jesse; Gallegos, Martín (January 15, 2025). "18-year-old two-way Japanese slugger signs record-setting deal with A's". MLB.com. Retrieved July 15, 2026.
- ↑ Jennings, Chad; Stavenhagen, Cody (January 16, 2025). "Athletics signee Shotaro Morii is charting a rare path for Japanese baseball players". The Athletic. Retrieved July 15, 2026.
- ↑ Borek, Jesse (May 14, 2026). "Two-way prospect makes Single-A pitching debut with scoreless frame". MLB.com. Retrieved July 15, 2026.
External links
- Career statistics from Baseball Reference (Minors)