There were lotteries held for the rights to three high school pitchers during the 2006 NPB draft.
The most sought after was a right-hander from Komadai Tomakomai (Hokkaido) High named Masahiro Tanaka, who had four teams vying for his services. The other two, Tatsuyoshi Masubuchi and Yuta Omine, drew two suitors apiece.
Tanaka, of course, went on to great heights, playing for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles for seven seasons — winning two Sawamura Awards (2011 and 2013), Pacific League MVP honors (2013) and a Japan Series title — before moving on to the major leagues and the New York Yankees, for whom he's expected to start on opening day this year.