Hanamaki Higashi High School phenom Shohei Otani said Sunday he has decided to join the Nippon Ham Fighters, doing an about-face after proclaiming he wished to join the major leagues directly from Japan.
Otani, the highly touted right-hander who clocks a 160 km-per-hour fastball, had said on Oct. 21 that he would like to play for a major league team, but the Fighters named him as their No. 1 draft pick four days later anyway.
"I am determined to be active with the Fighters from my first year," said Otani. "I thought that it would be better to get my career (in the majors) off the ground quickly so I would be active for a long time. But my feelings changed gradually, and ultimately I made the decision after discussions with my family."