The National High School Summer Baseball Tournament this year observes its 100th anniversary, and Asahi Geino (Aug. 13) recalls 10 hard-fought games at Koshien Stadium that fans still remember. In a short follow-up, the magazine introduces the "new monster," as he's being called, 16-year-old Kotaro Kiyomiya, a member of Tokyo's Waseda Jitsugyo team. While still in his second year of middle school, Kiyomiya reportedly slammed a pitch 160 meters — completely out of the park, leading people to predict he's destined to become the "Japanese Babe Ruth."

Son of a rugby coach for the Yamaha corporate team, Kiyomiya already stands an imposing 184 cm in height and weighs 97 kg. And the fact that he plays for the same school as did Japan's all-time slugging great Sadaharu Oh is also inviting comparisons.

"I've been watching him since he was in elementary school, and his batting style resembles (former San Francisco Giant) Barry Bonds," says sports commentator Yoshiaki Kanamura. "He rotates his torso when he swings, and his bat motion is fast. It's exciting just to watch him. I think he's going to tear up the bases at Koshien."