The Texas Rangers may have given themselves a real shot at a long shot.
According to a report from Beisbol FR’s Francys Romero, the Rangers met with 18-year-old Japanese right-hander Shoki Oda and came away making a strong impression. Romero said Texas sent an eight-person group to the meeting and was extremely well-prepared. Among those there were director of international scouting Jonny Clum, assistant general manager Josh Boyd, and Rangers Korean prospect Seong-Jun Kim.
That matters because Oda is one of the most sought-after young arms on the market, with clubs like the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and others also in the mix. The Dodgers would seem to have the cleanest path, especially with Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki already in the organization. Even so, Romero’s report gives the Rangers a legitimate opening.
There are still obvious obstacles. Texas is in the Central Time Zone, and that has been a factor for Japanese players before. Ohtani’s preference for a West Coast team was a major reason he landed with the Los Angeles Angels, since that time zone lines up more closely with Japan.
But if Oda was impressed by the Rangers’ presentation, geography may not be the deal-breaker it usually is. Texas could be pitching itself as the right place for him to become the next Japanese star in the organization after Yu Darvish.
Oda’s path to MLB also comes with the usual international amateur rules. Because he is skipping Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, he falls under MLB’s international amateur signing system and bonus pool limits.
That means he can land a sizable bonus, but once he reaches the majors, he’ll be on a standard rookie contract. Sasaki is the recent example, earning less than $1 million per year after signing with the Dodgers as an amateur international free agent and taking a $6.5 million bonus.
Yamamoto, by contrast, signed a 12-year, $325 million deal with Los Angeles after playing long enough in Japan to avoid amateur status.
Oda won’t be eligible to sign until Jan. 15, 2027. Even that date could move if the expected lockout in early December pushes things back and he has to wait for a new CBA.
As for the pitcher himself, Oda is listed at six feet, one inch and works with a five-pitch mix that includes a high-90s fastball, slider, cutter, splitter, curveball, and changeup.
The Rangers’ use of Kim in the meeting is another interesting detail. Though he’s from Korea, he can speak to how Texas develops young players and help top Asian prospects adjust to life in the United States. Not every team can offer that kind of built-in connection.
Oda still has more meetings ahead and is believed to be speaking with around a dozen teams overall. There’s also no guarantee he goes the IFA route at all, since NCAA baseball remains an option, and so does a return to Japan with the Yomiuri Giants, who drafted him despite his stated desire to come to the United States.
Even with all that uncertainty, the Rangers appear to have helped their case. That alone is enough to keep the dream alive, even if it’s still early. And if Texas can land Oda, the idea of him and 2026 first-round pick Gio Rojas anchoring the rotation down the road suddenly doesn’t feel quite so far-fetched.
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