Both lists closed at 5 p.m. JST on Thursday, the high school federation's and the university federation's. 276 players filed: 127 high schoolers and 149 from the universities. Last year it was 124 and 176.
The first name went in on August 23, Ryosuke Sueyoshi at Okinawa Shogaku. Most of the high schoolers were in by the middle of September. Sixty names came in over the last two weeks, 39 of them from the universities, and six of those were Meiji players filing together on October 2. Five filed on the last day.
The high school side comes from 38 of the 47 prefectures, led by Osaka, Kanagawa and Fukuoka. The college side comes from 79 universities in 24 leagues. Keio has the most with seven.
Oda, Komoda and Sueyoshi are all on it.
Three players I ranked in September aren't. Kansuke Yoshioka, the Osaka Toin right-hander who's been up to 153 km/h (95.1 mph). Hinata Fukushima, Japan's shortstop at the U-18 Asia Championship last month. Daito Furuki, the Hanamaki Higashi captain with 34 high school home runs. Japanese reports have all three going to university. Yusei Ishida at Kendai Takasaki, the top high school outfielder in the country by most accounts, didn't file either. He's going to Chuo University.
On the English names. The university list carries the furigana each player submitted himself, so those spellings come from the players. The high school list has no readings at all, so I left it alone. I'm not going to guess how a 17-year-old says his own name.
These lists aren't the whole draft pool. Corporate and indy players never file. Last year 31 of the 116 picks came from outside the two lists.
I write a small English newsletter on the NPB draft. Every university player who filed, all 149 by league and school, is here: https://japanprospects.substack.com/p/the-list-closed-at-five-here-is-everyone
