Can another Shohei Ohtani emerge in the Major League Baseball prospect landscape over the next few seasons?
Japanese two-way player Shotaro Morii, ranked No. 21 in the Athletics organization by MLBPipeline.com in 2025, has a real case to rise.
Morii is not yet ranked among the Top 100 prospects in all of baseball, but he could be on the way up if he stays healthy and takes a step forward in 2026. The Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan native offers rare versatility as a right-handed pitcher and shortstop — with the added upside of being a left-handed hitter — giving scouts plenty to track as the Athletics continue mapping out his development path.
Shotaro Morii (#Athletics No. 21) became the highest-paid Japanese amateur to move stateside when he signed last January.
After a solid debut in the Arizona Complex League, the two-way player is a breakout candidate for ’26: https://t.co/cJgXBEhijT pic.twitter.com/QpKL24LZLf
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) January 4, 2026
The Athletics signed Morii on January 25, 2025 to a blockbuster deal worth $1,510,500 during the international signing period — reported as the largest bonus ever for a Japanese amateur player, according to Yakyu Cosmopolitan.
アスレチックスへようこそ！森井翔太郎選手！
(Welcome to the Athletics Shotaro Morii!) pic.twitter.com/dMzh9kGvnk
— Athletics (@Athletics) January 15, 2025
“Let him hit first and find out where the arm’s at. But it could be super special on both ends. He’s already touching 95 mph, so it’s like, man, we’ve got to try both – and he’s up for it. He’s an amazing athlete, so I think we can navigate,” Athletics director of international scouting Steve Sharpe told Jesse Borek on MiLB.com back on January 25, 2025.
Morii caught the eyes of professional scouts during his senior year at TOHO Junior and Senior High School in Kunitachi, Tokyo, Japan in 2024, with Toshiyuki Tomizuka (A’s Japan international scout) and A’s Pacific Rim coordinator Adam Hislop helping lead the push to close the deal.
Morii hit 45 home runs in his high school career and was viewed as a potential Top 10 selection-level prospect for the Nippon Professional Baseball Draft. He also flashed real arm strength on the mound, with reports of him reaching the mid-90s.
#Dodgers among other teams are pursuing 17-year-old two-way player Shotaro Morii from Toho High School in Japan per @Yahoo_JAPAN_PR
The SS/RHP hit 45 home runs in HS and has hit 153 km/h (95 mph) on the mound. He has offers from multiple teams to sign.@WorldBaseball_ pic.twitter.com/ZIGDPTNmRc
— Aaliyan Mohammed (@Aaliyan525) October 10, 2024
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound teenager played his first year of professional baseball in 2025 at the Arizona Complex League level.
Morii played in 43 games in 2025 and slashed .258/.399/.384 in 188 plate appearances, totaling 39 hits, eight doubles, one triple, three home runs, 27 RBIs, four stolen bases, 36 walks, and 47 strikeouts.
Defensively, Morii started seven games at second base over 54 innings, posting 26 chances, four putouts, 20 assists, two errors, four double plays, and a .923 fielding percentage.
At shortstop, he started 23 games over 176.1 innings, recording 83 chances, 31 putouts, 47 assists, five errors, 13 double plays, and a .940 fielding percentage in 2025.
The Athletics scouting department and front office have not yet evaluated Morii to pitch in games. His pitching tool grades list: fastball 55, slider 40, curveball 45, splitter 50, control 45, and overall 40.
Offensively, Morii’s grades list: hit 50, power 50, run 55, arm 60, field 50, and overall 40.
The 2026 MLBPipeline.com Top 30 lists have not yet been released for all organizations.
Morii’s upside remains significant if the Athletics’ front office and coaching staff can continue building out his pitching plan while maintaining his offensive development — especially with 11 pitchers ranked ahead of him in the organization’s Top 30 in 2025.
AloJapan.com