2018 Nippon Professional Baseball draft

The 2018 Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Draft was held on October 25, 2018, for the 54th time at the Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa to assign amateur baseball players to the NPB.^[1][2] It was arranged with the special cooperation of Taisho Pharmaceutical Co. with official naming rights. The draft was officially called "The Professional Baseball Draft Meeting supported by Lipovitan D".^[1] 2018 marked the 6th consecutive year in which Taisho Pharmaceuticals had sponsored the event.

2018 Nippon Professional Baseball Draft
Akira Neo and Kaito Kozono, who was nominated and a bid lottery for by four teams.
General information
Sport	Baseball
Date(s)	October 25, 2018
Location	Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa, Tokyo
Network(s)	TBS (first round), sky-A
Sponsored by	Taisho Pharmaceutical
Overview
104 total selections in 12 (Includes draft for developmental players) rounds
League	Nippon Professional Baseball
First round selections	Akira Neo Kaito Kozono Kyota Fujiwara
← 2017 2019 →

Summary

Only the first round picks were allowed to be contested with all picks from the second round onward being based on table placing in the 2018 NPB season in a waiver system. Waiver priority was based on inter-league results. As the Pacific League teams came out on top against Central League opposition, Pacific League teams were given preference. From the third round the order was reversed continuing in the same fashion until all picks were exhausted.

First round Contested Picks

	Player Name	Position	Teams Selected by
First round	Akira Neo	Infielder	Dragons, Fighters, Giants, Swallows
First round	Kaito Kozono	Infielder	Buffaloes, Baystars, Hawks, Carp
First round	Kyota Fujiwara	Outfielder	Eagles, Marines, Tigers
Second round	Ryosuke Tatsumi	Outfielder	Eagles, Tigers, Giants, Hawks
Second round	Taiga Kamichatani	Pitcher	Baystars, Swallows

• Bolded teams indicate who won the right to negotiate contract following a lottery.
• In the first round, Wataru Matsumoto (Pitcher) was selected by the Lions without a bid lottery.
• In the second round, Ryo Ohta (Infielder) was selected by the Buffaloes without a bid lottery.
• In the thrird round, Koji Chikamoto (Outfielder) was selected by the Tigers, Yuki Takahashi (Pitcher) by the Giants ,Hiroshi Kaino (Pitcher) by the Hawks, and Noboru Shimizu (Pitcher) by the Swallows without a bid lottery.
• List of selected players.^[3]

Selected Players

Key

*	Player did not sign

• The order of the teams is the order of second round waiver priority.
• Bolded After that, a developmental player who contracted as a registered player under control.
• List of selected players.^[3]

Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles

Pick	Player Name	Position	Team
#1	Ryosuke Tatsumi	Outfielder	Ritsumeikan University
#2	Hikaru Ohta	Catcher	Osaka University of Commerce
#3	Shoichiro Hikiji	Pitcher	Kureshiki Commercial High School
#4	Hayato Yuge	Pitcher	Subaru
#5	Tomoki Satoh	Pitcher	Yamagata Chuo High School
#6	Yoshiaki Watanabe	Infielder	Meiji University
#7	Yuta Ogo	Pitcher	Rissho University
#8	Sora Suzuki	Pitcher	Fuji University
Developmental Player Draft
#1	Kotaro Seimiya	Pitcher	Yachiyo Shōin High School
#2	Yoshiki Norimoto	Pitcher	Yamagishi Logisters

Hanshin Tigers

Pick	Player Name	Position	Team
#1	Koji Chikamoto	Outfielder	Osaka Gas
#2	Ryuhei Obata	Infielder	Nobeoka Gakuen High School
#3	Seiya Kinami	Infielder	Honda
#4	Yukiya Saitoh	Pitcher	Honda
#5	Riku Kawahara	Pitcher	Sōseikan High School
#6	Atsuki Yuasa	Pitcher	Tōyama GRN Thunderbirds
Developmental Player Draft
#1	Yuya Katayama	Catcher	Fukui Wild Raptors

Chiba Lotte Marines

Pick	Player Name	Position	Team
#1	Kyota Fujiwara	Outfielder	Osaka Tōin High School
#2	Yusuke Azuma	Pitcher	Nippon Sport Science University
#3	Kazuya Ojima	Pitcher	Waseda University
#4	Koki Yamaguchi	Outfielder	Meiō High School
#5	Toshiya Nakamura	Pitcher	Asia University
#6	Takuro Furuya	Pitcher	Narashino High School
#7	Shin Matsuda	Pitcher	Honda
#8	Hideto Doi	Pitcher	Matsuyama Seiryō High School
Developmental Player Draft
#1	Mizuki Kamata	Pitcher	Tokushima Indigo Socks

Chunichi Dragons

Pick	Player Name	Position	Team
#1	Akira Neo	Infielder	Osaka Tōin High School
#2	Kodai Umetsu	Pitcher	Toyo University
#3	Akiyoshi Katsuno	Pitcher	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
#4	Kota Ishibashi	Catcher	Kantō Daiichi High School
#5	Kenshin Kakikoshi	Pitcher	Yamanashi Gakuin High School
#6	Kaname Takino	Outfielder	Osaka University of Commerce

Orix Buffaloes

Pick	Player Name	Position	Team
#1	Ryo Ohta	Infielder	Tenri High School
#2	Yuma Tongu	Catcher	Asia University
#3	Yudai Aranishi	Pitcher	Honda Kumamoto
#4	Ryoga Tomiyama	Pitcher	Toyota
#5	Sho Gibo	Catcher	Mirai Okinawa High School
#6	Yu Hidarisawa	Pitcher	JX-ENEOS
#7	Keita Nakagawa	Infielder	Toyo University
Developmental Player Draft
#1	Taisei Urushihara	Pitcher	Niigata University of Health and Welfare

Yokohama DeNA Baystars

Pick	Player Name	Position	Team
#1	Taiga Kamichatani	Pitcher	Toyo University
#2	Yukiya Itoh	Infielder	Rissho University
#3	Shinichi Ohnuki	Pitcher	Nippon Steel Kashima
#4	Atsushi Katsumata	Pitcher	Nihon University Tsurugaoka High School
#5	Kyosuke Mashiko	Catcher	Seirantaitō High School
#6	Naoto Chino	Infielder	Niigata Albirex BC
Developmental Player Draft
#1	Daiya Miyagi	Pitcher	Shiga Gakuen High School

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters

Pick	Player Name	Position	Team
#1	Kosei Yoshida	Pitcher	Kanaashi Agricultural High School
#2	Yuki Nomura	Infielder	Hanasakitokuharu High School
#3	Tsubasa Nabatame	Pitcher	Nippon Express
#4	Chusei Mannami	Outfielder	Yokohama High School
#5	Ren Kakigi	Pitcher	Osaka Tōin High School
#6	Yua Tamiya	Catcher	Narita High School
#7	Suguru Fukuda	Pitcher	Seisa Dohto University
Developmental Player Draft
#1	Kazuyoshi Ebina	Outfielder	Tōyama GRN Thunderbirds

Yomiuri Giants

Pick	Player Name	Position	Team
#1	Yuki Takahashi	Pitcher	Hachinohe Gakuin University
#2	Riku Masuda	Infielder	Meishū Gakuen Hitachi High School
#3	Daisuke Naoe	Pitcher	Matsushō Gakuen High School
#4	Kai Yokogawa	Pitcher	Osaka Tōin High School
#5	Yoshiya Matsui	Infielder	Orio Aishin High School
#6	Shosei Togo	Pitcher	Seishin Ursula Gakuen High School
Developmental Player Draft
#1	Kota Yamashita	Outfielder	Takasaki University of Health and Welfare High School
#2	Kaisei Hirai	Pitcher	Gifu Daiichi High School
#3	Shohei Numata	Pitcher	Asahikawa University High School
#4	Hibiki Kuroda	Infielder	Tsuruga Kehi High School

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

Pick	Player Name	Position	Team
#1	Hiroshi Kaino	Pitcher	Toyo University
#2	Kazuki Sugiyama	Pitcher	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Hiroshima
#3	Daiju Nomura	Infielder	Waseda Jikkyo High School
#4	Yugo Bandoh	Pitcher	JR East
#5	Shun Mizutani	Outfielder	Iwami Chisuikan High School
#6	Keisuke Izumi	Pitcher	Kanazawa Seiryo University
#7	Masato Okumura	Pitcher	Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems
Developmental Player Draft
#1	Riku Watanabe	Catcher	Kokugakuin University
#2	Naoya Okamoto	Pitcher	Tokyo University of Agriculture Hokkaido Okhotsk
#3	Tomoaki Shigeta	Pitcher	Kokushikan University
#4	Takamasa Nakamura	Outfielder	Nishi-Nippon Junior College High School

Tokyo Yakult Swallows

Pick	Player Name	Position	Team
#1	Noboru Shimizu	Pitcher	Kokugakuin University
#2	Shōta Nakayama	Outfielder	Hosei University
#3	Yuta Ichikawa	Pitcher	Meitoku Gijuku High School
#4	Taiki Hamada	Outfielder	Meihō High School
#5	Koshiro Sakamoto	Pitcher	Nippon Steel Hirohata
#6	Yuta Suzuki	Pitcher	Nihon Bunri High School
#7	Yuto Kanakubo	Catcher	Kyushu Kyoritsu University
#8	Taisei Yoshida	Infielder	Meiji Yasuda Life
Developmental Player Draft
#1	Taishi Uchiyama	Catcher	Tochigi Golden Braves
#2	Yu Matsumoto	Infielder	Fukui Wild Raptors

Saitama Seibu Lions

Pick	Player Name	Position	Team
#1	Wataru Matsumoto	Pitcher	Nippon Sport Science University
#2	Yutaro Watanabe	Pitcher	Urawa Gakuin High School
#3	Kakeru Yamanobe	Infielder	Mitsubishi Motors Okazaki
#4	Kaito Awatsu	Pitcher	Higashi Nippon International University
#5	Shoya Makino	Catcher	Yū Gakkan High School
#6	Ryosuke Moriwaki	Pitcher	Sega Sammy
#7	Ryusei Satoh	Infielder	Fuji University
Developmenalt Player Draft
#1	Aoi Tohno	Pitcher	Japan University of Economics
#2	Jiyu Ohkubo	Pitcher	Hokkai High School
#3	Daichi Nakaguma	Catcher	Tokuyama University

Hiroshima Toyo Carp

Pick	Player Name	Position	Team
#1	Kaito Kozono	Infielder	Hōtoku Gakuen High School
#2	Sotaro Shimauchi	Pitcher	Kyushu Kyoritsu University
#3	Kota Hayashi	Infielder	Chiben Gakuen Wakayama High School
#4	Takuto Nakagami	Infielder	Gifu Commercial High School
#5	Norihiko Tanaka	Pitcher	Komono High School
#6	Yuya Shozui	Outfielder	Asia University
#7	Ryutaro Hatsuki	Infielder	Kamimura Gakuen High School
Developmental Player Draft
#1	Minoru Ohmori	Outfielder	Shizuoka Sangyo University