TOKYO - The Yomiuri Giants selected 14-year-old junior high school catcher Rentaro Seki with their fifth pick in Thursday's developmental draft, making him the youngest player ever chosen in Japanese professional baseball.
The previous record belonged to pitcher Kento Tsujimoto, drafted by the Hanshin Tigers at age 15 in 2004. Seki attends junior high school in Kawasaki, near Tokyo, and represented Japan at this year's Under-15 Baseball World Cup.
Seki is the first junior high school student ever selected in a Japanese professional baseball draft, including the developmental draft, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Seki plays for Tamagawa Boys, a junior high school baseball club supported by the Giants of the Central League.
"I'm happy because I've worn the Giants uniform at both the junior and junior youth levels. But there are still many things I don't understand, so I'd like to discuss my future with my family before deciding what to do," Seki said through the Giants.
According to the official website of Samurai Japan, the country's national baseball team, Seki was born on Dec. 26, 2011, and bats and throws right-handed. He was listed as 179 centimeters tall and weighing 82 kilograms.
Giants scouting director Shinsuke Kurematsu praised Seki's potential, calling him "an outstanding prospect." If he joins the team, Seki is expected to participate in practices and games while attending high school.
"This is an unprecedented case, and we'll probably have to figure things out as we go," Kurematsu said. "But we have various facilities available, and we plan to develop him using those resources."
Meanwhile, Tsujimoto was released by the Tigers, also of the Central League, in 2009 at age 20 after struggling with repeated injuries. The pitcher never made a first-team appearance during his time with the club.
