A high school arm in Japan is about to become a major point of interest for the Yankees, and the timing could not be more delicate. Shoki Oda of Yokohama High School is set to hear pitches from MLB clubs even after the Yomiuri Giants spent their first-round pick on him, creating a recruiting battle with a familiar New York twist.
The Yankees are expected to be part of that process, along with the Dodgers and several other clubs. Oda’s school manager, Hiroaki Murata, said on Nov. 2 that interviews with major league organizations will start Wednesday, Nov. 4, at the school and continue through Nov.
- He estimated that 11 or 12 teams are involved, with the Mets, Padres, Phillies and Astros also reportedly in the mix.
Those meetings matter because Oda is not looking for a quick fix. He is 18, and any team courting him is selling a long-term development path rather than immediate help for Aaron Boone’s staff. The Yankees will have roughly two weeks to make their case, with each presentation expected to run about 60 to 90 minutes, longer than the talks previously held with Japanese teams.
Oda already made his intentions clear before Japan’s Oct. 22 draft. He had said he wanted to pursue opportunities in the United States, but the Giants still used their first-round selection on him. That put the club in the hands of Hideki Matsui, the former Yankees star whose World Series run made him a New York favorite and who is now leading the Giants as manager.
Matsui was named the Giants’ manager for 2027 the day after the draft, and he made it plain he was excited about the possibility of landing Oda. “We’ve been given the chance to potentially sign a player who has the potential to become the world’s best pitcher. It’s been a while since I watched the draft, and I got goosebumps when the Giants selected him,” Matsui said.
Oda’s response left little room for doubt about where he stands. “I’m honored to have been selected, but my desire to challenge myself in America is not wavering at all,” Oda said.
As of Nov. 3, the Giants had not scheduled talks with Oda, while the MLB interviews remained the priority. That means the Japanese club’s first-round pick has not settled the issue, and the Yankees remain in the chase.
The attraction is obvious. Oda has already hit 157 kilometers per hour with his fastball, a mark he reached on July 24 in a prefectural tournament game against Keio. At Koshien in August, he was clocked at 156 km/h, the fastest reading displayed on the stadium scoreboard during the national high school championship.
He is listed at 186 centimeters and throws right-handed. For the Yankees, the appeal is not about plugging him into the Bronx right away. It is about betting on the arm, the development, and the possibility that he becomes something far bigger down the line.
There is still another layer to the decision. Murata said Oda’s mother is expected to be involved, and the choice could include American college education as well. Oda’s October trip to the United States included looking at both baseball and school settings, so this is not just a Yankees-versus-Giants contest.
The calendar also adds some uncertainty. MLB’s current collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1, and a work stoppage or changes to international recruiting rules could affect the timing of negotiations, though nothing has been established as of Nov.
- Under the current international amateur signing system, the next signing period opens Jan. 15, 2027, with bonus pool restrictions part of any future deal.
For the Yankees, the key stretch is right in front of them: Nov. 4 through Nov. 17.
Oda will hear from clubs, compare development plans and facilities, and decide which path makes the most sense. The Giants want him.
The Yankees want in. And a teenager with a 157 km/h fastball now sits at the center of it all.
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