Morii, the two-way phenom, has the A's buzzing

MESA, Ariz. -- Some prospects shy away from comparing themselves to the game¡¯s current stars.

Not Shotaro Morii. If you ask him, he will tell you exactly who he wants to be.

¡°I want to be like [Jacob] deGrom as a pitcher and Elly De La Cruz as a batter,¡± Morii said. ¡°The main goal is to become a player like them.¡±

Yes, a two-time Cy Young Award winner and arguably the most electric hitter in baseball -- all in one -- is the type of player Morii is aiming to become. It is a lofty target, but that ambition is why the Athletics were so drawn to the 18-year-old Japanese two-way phenom, who this January inked a $1,510,500 million deal with the club, marking the largest signing bonus for a Japanese amateur to not play for Nippon Professional Baseball, according to Yakyu Cosmopolitan.

There is an array of tools that Morii brings to the table. His bat was on display on a larger scale during Friday's Spring Breakout game -- which saw the A's top prospects defeat the top prospects from the Padres' system, 5-2, at Peoria Sports Complex -- as the A¡¯s No. 28 prospect scorched a groundout that registered an exit velocity of 110.1 mph, per Statcast.

But beyond the impressive power he showed as a high schooler by hitting 45 home runs, and the 95 mph fastball he brought on the mound, that desire to become a star is what truly excites the A¡¯s.

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¡°The thing that jumped out at us the most is his passion for the game,¡± said A¡¯s assistant general manager Dan Feinstein. ¡°He has an unwavering desire to be one of the next great players from Japan.¡±

Morii is all in on chasing that greatness. He has even been preparing for the media attention that comes with such fame by enrolling in a class to learn English last summer, and he continues to study the language on his own.

The decision to forego playing in the NPB also speaks to his confidence. Had he entered the upcoming NPB Draft, he likely would have been a Top 10 pick. He also could have followed in the footsteps of fellow countryman Rintaro Sasaki, Japan¡¯s all-time high school home run king, who opted to come stateside after high school to play college ball at Stanford and will be eligible for the 2026 MLB Draft. Morii, however, wanted to carve his own unique path.

¡°The biggest part of my decision was I didn¡¯t want to have any regrets,¡± Morii said. ¡°Not only in baseball, but in life. That¡¯s why I made this decision. ¡­ I wanted to join professional baseball as soon as I could.¡±

In recent years, two-way college prospects have entered the professional ranks and have been asked to focus on one side at the request of their respective clubs. The A¡¯s believe Morii can succeed as a two-way player, and their main selling point that attracted him over other clubs with heavy interest was their willingness to let him hit and pitch.

While there is no specific formula to develop a two-way prospect, the A¡¯s are putting together a plan that will protect Morii¡¯s arm as much as possible while still getting him plenty of reps at on the field, where he is expected to play shortstop, and at the plate. He arrived to A¡¯s Minor League camp in Mesa earlier this month and is currently appearing in Minor League games as a designated hitter.

¡°So far, he looks like he understands the strike zone and is fairly physical for his age and size,¡± A¡¯s director of player development Ed Sprague said of Morii, who is listed at 6-foot and 190 pounds. ¡°He is going through a throwing program to get his arm in shape.¡±

Expected to get his pro career underway in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League this summer, Morii knows it will be a long road to reach the Majors. Still, he believes he can make it to The Show within the next three years, which could present the opportunity to share the same field with that other two-way guy, Shohei Ohtani.

¡°Shohei is a baseball player who is really far away from me right now,¡± Morii said. ¡°I¡¯m going to do my best to get closer to him as soon as I can.¡±