Shohei Otani, Japanese high school pitcher, firm on MLB plans
Shohei Ohtani, an 18-year-old Hanamaki Higashi High School student, pitching at a high school baseball championship at Koshien stadium. (March 21, 2012) Credit: Getty Images
TOKYO -- Japanese high school pitcher Shohei Otani says he will stick to his plan of joining a team in Major League Baseball despite being selected in the first round of Japanese baseball's amateur draft.
Otani, who has thrown a fastball 99 and 100 mph, has been scouted by several teams, including the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox.
The Nippon Ham Fighters, Yu Darvish's former team, chose Otani in the first round of Thursday's draft even though the 6-foot-4 right-hander had already said he plans to pursue a career in the major leagues.
The 18-year-old Otani says "My feelings haven't changed. I'm grateful that they appreciate me, but it doesn't change my desire to play in America."
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