The biggest name in baseball right now is Shohei Ohtani, the two-way star for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
But could the next big name in baseball be a three-way player?
Shotaro Morii is hoping to be that next big name, and the young prospect embarks on his journey tonight with the Athletics’ Single-A affiliate in Stockton. But what makes Morii different is the fact that he’ll be pitching, hitting, and playing the field for the Stockton Ports.
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Morii signed with the Athletics in January of 2025, signing at age 18 for just over $1.5 million. That was the largest bonus ever for a Japanese amateur player outside of Nippon Professional Baseball.
The plan for Morii is to appear in three or four games each week as a hitter, either as the designated hitter or as Stockton’s second baseman. Then on Thursdays, Morii will take to the mound, starting with one inning of work and slowly building up to three innings per appearance.
In addition, the Ports plan for Morii to rest on Fridays, and throw bullpen sessions on Saturday.
“He is attempting to do something that is very difficult,” A’s farm director Ed Sprague said. “His offensive game is ahead of his pitching, but he has a great arm and is committed to doing both. I think he could have stayed at shortstop for a while if he just played on one side of the ball, but we both felt like second base would lessen the workload.”
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Morii appeared in 43 games in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League last season, where he slashed .258/.399/.384 with three home runs. This year in four games in the ACL Morii slashed .308/.385/.742.
He also made one appearance as a pitcher in the ACL this year, facing four batters and striking out two while allowing just one hit.
Here’s Morii from last summer in the ACL, showing quick hands through the zone at the plate:
“He has been hampered with some minor injuries to start his career, so we will take it slow as he progresses to pitching and playing a position in the pro game,” Sprague said. “We are excited to see him get out to an affiliate and get started.”
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