Sophia University Student Yuma Masaki Selected by the Saitama Seibu Lions in the Developmental Draft
At the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Draft held on Thursday, October 23, Yuma Masaki, a senior pitcher from the Department of Management, was selected by the Saitama Seibu Lions as their sixth pick in the developmental player category.
This marks the first time in Sophia University’s history that a current student has been drafted by a professional baseball team, as the university does not have an athletic scholarship program. The following day, on October 24, Masaki attended a press conference at the Yotsuya Campus, where he shared his thoughts on being drafted and his aspirations for the future.
Masaki, an alumnus of Redmond High School in Washington State, U.S., primarily played as a position player during his high school years before converting to a pitcher after entering Sophia University.
Despite the absence of specialized coaches or trainers, he refined his pitching mechanics and training methods on his own. Through steady effort, he increased his top fastball velocity from 140 km/h at the time of enrollment to 153 km/h today. Armed with a sharp fastball, he has steadily built his experience and improved his performance year after year.
Comment from Yuma Masaki
“I’m truly honored and grateful to have been selected in the draft. I was especially happy to see my teammates—who have worked so hard alongside me over the past four years—celebrate the news with me. I know I still have a long way to go and that I’m not yet at the level of a professional player. My goal is to earn a spot on the active roster as soon as possible and eventually become the kind of pitcher a team relies on when it needs to win. I’ll keep pushing forward with everything I have.”
Comment from Professor Masahiro Fujita, Head of the Baseball Club
“Congratulations to Yuma on being selected by the Saitama Seibu Lions in the draft. Compared to powerhouse university baseball clubs, our environment has never been an easy one. Yet Yuma has shown great discipline and perseverance, steadily growing over these four years. I’m confident that the experience he’s gained will serve him well in the future. I sincerely hope he enjoys a long and successful career in professional baseball.”
Comment from Coach Yutaka Yoshida
“We’re deeply grateful that Yuma was selected in the developmental draft. It was something he strongly hoped for, and I’m truly happy to see that dream come true. He’s about to enter a very demanding world, but I hope he continues to work hard with determination and a strong will to succeed. We’ll all be cheering for him.”
