The Athletics made waves to kick off the 2025 international signing period, inking 18-year-old two-way player Shotaro Morii to a $1,510,500 million deal, the largest bonus ever for a Japanese amateur outside of Nippon Professional Baseball, according to Yakyu Cosmopolitan.

A left-handed hitter with 45 high school home runs to his credit, Morii has also been clocked as high as 95 mph on the hill. That impact potential on both sides of the diamond made Morii a potential top 10 pick in the NPB Draft.

¡°It¡¯s a historic day for our organization,¡± said A¡¯s assistant general manager Dan Feinstein. ¡°Shotaro is our first and one of the very few Japanese high school players to sign directly with a Major League team. ¡­ We are anxious and excited to watch Shotaro both pitch and hit as he begins his ascent through our Minor League system beginning this spring.¡±

Scouts see Morii¡¯s long-term future in the batter¡¯s box, but he¡¯ll play his entire first pro season at 18, giving him a long leash of development as he acclimates to the rigors of pro ball. Scouted heavily by A¡¯s Pacific Rim coordinator Adam Hislop and Japan area scout Toshiyuki Tomizuka, Morii is someone the A¡¯s believe can succeed as a two-way player. He will join the organization in Arizona for Minor League Spring Training and will likely begin his professional career in the Arizona Complex League.

¡°We knew Shotaro¡¯s desire all along was to both pitch and hit,¡± Feinstein said. ¡°The fact that we see him as a two-way prospect was definitely a selling point in our favor. We¡¯re talking internally with our pitching coaches and strength coaches and athletic trainers to put a plan in place that both protects his arm but also gets him plenty of reps at both positions. Exactly what that will look like is TBD right now.¡±

At the plate, Morii features a smooth swing with tremendous balance. His high-octane throwing arm plays well at shortstop but could also help ease an eventual transition to third base as his 6-foot-1 frame fills out.

Morii becomes the latest teen Japanese standout to carve a unique path. Rintaro Sasaki, the nation¡¯s all-time high school home run leader, is attending Stanford University and will first be Draft eligible in 2026. The slugging first baseman already enjoyed stints in the Draft League and Appalachian League this past summer, where he showcased his power exploits.

Beyond the physical traits, the A¡¯s quickly became enamored with Morii¡¯s drive and passion for the game. He has a strong desire to become one of the next great players to come out of Japan, and he aims to reach the big leagues within the next three years.

As for the type of players he looks up to and wants to be like, Morii, who has spent the past year learning English through an online class, said he patterns himself after Jacob deGrom on the mound and Elly De La Cruz as a hitter and shortstop.

¡°Elly De La Cruz of the Cincinnati Reds is my favorite player,¡± Morii said. ¡°He runs very fast, he has power and I love him because of his personality.¡±