Tension, Silence, and the Moment of Joy: The 2026 Professional Baseball Draft

Fujiwara Hiroshi Hall on the 2nd floor of the Hiyoshi Campus Kyoseikan Collaboration Complex. This place, which usually buzzes with concerts and events, was wrapped in a tense atmosphere today. The front was filled with reporters from various stations, and the back was packed with large cameras and microphones for filming, creating a solemn atmosphere.

A live broadcast of a special program for the draft meeting will take place here, and if selected, the players will hold a press conference. As the scheduled time approached, preparations proceeded steadily.

Then, at the scheduled time, the players aspiring to go professional entered. They were greeted by loud cheers and applause from nearly 100 members of the baseball club gathered in the second-floor seats. The players bowed and took their seats. Immediately after, the sound of camera shutters from the press echoed through the venue all at once, and the entire stage was flooded with the white light of flashes. This further highlighted the tension of the upcoming draft meeting press conference. With hope and anxiety in their hearts, the players watched the progress of the draft meeting on stage along with those present in the venue.

The broadcast of the special program began, and team names and player names were read out one by one. However, no players were selected in the first or second rounds. Every time a name was read, various voices—sighs or gasps of surprise—could be heard from the second-floor seats. While the program was on air, all the players looked nervous, and every time the broadcast went to a commercial, they would exhale deeply and relax their shoulders. It showed just how intently they were watching the broadcast.

Since there were no selections in the first or second rounds, the players temporarily left the room. As I watched the television on stage continuing to air the program, I felt an indescribable anxiety gradually spreading as the selections progressed.

However, this atmosphere was about to change completely.

"Hirodai Watanabe, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks"

It was the third round. Hirodai Watanabe (4th year, Faculty of Business and Commerce, Pitcher) was selected as the 3rd pick by the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.

The first to notice were the players in the second-floor seats. In the next moment, a roar that seemed to shake the entire venue erupted, and the hall was instantly enveloped in enthusiasm. On the second floor, members of the baseball club who had come to support their teammates stood up from their seats, high-fiving, putting their arms around each other's shoulders, and letting their joy explode with loud voices. When Watanabe appeared again for the press conference, particularly loud cheers and shouts of "Congratulations!" echoed through the venue.

When asked about his image of the team, Watanabe stated that he is happy that many Keio seniors are active there and that he can compete in baseball among them, and that he wants to become a pitcher who can contribute to the team.

Regarding the environment unique to the Keio University Athletic Association Baseball Club, he looked back on it as a good environment for training, noting that the number of members is far larger than at other universities, with 50 to 60 pitchers alone, meaning there were many teammates to compete with, and citing facilities such as meals and weights in the dormitory.

Also, while people tend to focus only on good results, it was particularly impressive that he found importance in baseball in the ability to look at weak points and repeatedly correct them, and to correct or change things through his own strength.

Watanabe's press conference settled down, and attention was once again focused on the television on stage.

The meeting eventually reached the middle stage, and the developmental draft selections began. The broadcast continued. However, the number of teams declaring the end of their selections increased one by one, and the draft meeting finally reached its final stages. Would there be no more selections? Tension was rising in the venue once again.

In the midst of this, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters entered the 5th round of the developmental draft.

"Keisuke Imazu"

Keisuke Imazu (4th year, Faculty of Policy Management, Infielder) was selected. This was the final developmental draft pick made by the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters this year.

The venue was once again enveloped in a whirlpool of joy, and as he had grabbed the very last slot, there was a storm of applause from the second-floor seats. The moment his name appeared on the monitor, a cheer of "Whoooooo!" rose up, enough to shake the hall.

A look of relief was on Imazu's face as he appeared in the venue again.

He said that while he felt anxious that it might end without him being selected, he believed that he might be chosen. When he was selected, he felt relieved and at the same time happy that those around him were joyful. He said he wanted to express his gratitude to his family for raising him and his determination that the real battle starts from here.

He shared his aspirations to become a player who can perform in a way that fascinates spectators in his home region of Hokkaido.

Thus, the Keio University draft meeting press conference concluded. Looking back on the sequence of events, during the first and second rounds, the players, baseball club members, and the press all listened intently to the audio from the television set up in the venue, and the hall was filled with silence and tension.

Watching the players intently monitoring the broadcast made me feel just how much weight the draft meeting holds for players who have practiced every day with the aim of going professional. On the other hand, after the selections were made, a peaceful and heartwarming atmosphere drifted through the room, with players occasionally exchanging words with smiles, interacting with the baseball club members in the second-floor seats during the photo session, and the venue being enveloped in laughter at various points during the Q&A session. This change in the atmosphere of the venue remains particularly memorable.

The players have worked hard alongside their teammates and faced baseball with sincerity. I am very happy to have witnessed the moment they took their first step as professionals. Including the upcoming Waseda-Keio rivalry games, there is only a little time left, but their performance as Keio students is also not to be missed. I look forward to the day I can see them active as professional players.

*This article was created based on information as of 2026.