Los Angeles Dodgers officials spent more than three hours meeting with 18-year-old Japanese right-hander Shoki Oda at his high school on Saturday, giving the club an extended chance to pitch the prospect on a direct path to the major leagues.
The session ran longer than the one- to two-hour meetings Oda has held with other clubs, according to Japanese reports. Representing the Dodgers were vice president of player personnel Galen Carr, adviser Yogo Suzuki and scout Toru Sugiura. Oda was joined by his mother and Yokohama High School coach Hiroaki Murata.
Carr later told reporters that he considered Oda to not only be the best 18-year-old pitcher in the world but also the most talented pitcher to come out of Japan since Roki Sasaki.
Oda, who stands 186 centimeters, has drawn attention for a fastball that reached 156 kilometers per hour at this summer’s national high school tournament at Koshien Stadium. That mark is the fastest ever displayed on the stadium scoreboard. He has also touched 157 km/h in other outings.
Most elite Japanese high school pitchers begin their professional careers in Nippon Professional Baseball. Oda has said he wants to skip that step and join a major league organization instead, a route that would be highly unusual for a top amateur of his age.
The Yomiuri Giants selected him in the first round of the 2026 NPB draft in October. The club holds negotiating rights through next March, but Oda has maintained his preference for the United States. The Giants hired Hideki Matsui as manager in an effort to keep him in Japan.
Oda has already met with the Yankees, Rangers, Blue Jays, Phillies, Mets, Cardinals and Tigers. He is expected to sit down with a total of 12 major league teams as he weighs options this offseason.
Any agreement with an MLB club would fall under international amateur rules. Oda would not be eligible to sign until the next international period opens on Jan. 15, 2027. The current collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1, and a lockout could delay that window until a new deal is reached.
Industry observers have viewed the Dodgers as a leading candidate for Oda. He has expressed admiration for Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who signed with Los Angeles, and is represented by the same agency that handled Yamamoto and Sasaki.
Oda helped Yokohama reach the semifinals of the summer Koshien tournament. In one start he struck out 12 over 8 2/3 innings, and he later threw a complete-game shutout in the quarterfinals. Scouts note a full arsenal that includes a slider, forkball and other secondary pitches alongside the power fastball.
The Dodgers’ three-hour visit signals serious interest in a player who would enter the organization as a minor league prospect with significant upside. Oda has not announced a decision and still has remaining meetings scheduled.
A move straight to the majors’ minor league system would place him on a different development track than the vast majority of his peers. The Dodgers have emphasized player development in their pitch to him, outlining a plan tailored to his age and skill set.
With roughly a dozen clubs still in the mix and the NPB Giants holding formal rights, Oda’s choice will determine whether one of Japan’s top high school arms begins his career in North America or stays home. The extended Dodgers meeting keeps them firmly involved as that process continues.
