Shotaro Morii 4/30/26

Athletics RHP/INF Shotaro Morii threw Thursday in an extended spring training game. It was his third time throwing stateside (the first two were in instructs last fall).

The delivery now appears to be modeled after Yoshinobu Yamamoto, with the same signature small front leg lift and non-stop momentum flowing towards home. It’s a difficult delivery to pull off, but Morii has the athleticism and body control to make it work.

This was a “how not what” outing for Morii in terms of player evaluation. He only pitched one inning, gave up some hard contact, and hit two batters. I wouldn’t read too much into the results. You could still see why the Athletics gave him a $1.5 MM bonus as a 2025 IFA, making him the highest amateur Japanese signing of all time. He’s a plus athlete or better with a special arm. Quick cat-like reflexes when fielding off the mound.

I didn’t scout the 2025 ACL - so I didn’t see Morii in the field, but I’d kill to see him take an INF at SS. Having seen him so little, it’s hard to make a call on him. He’s an exciting player I would love to see more of.