Athletics reveal plans for Japanese two-way player compared to Shohei Ohtani

There may never be another two-way player of Shohei Ohtani's caliber. 

But the Athletics are willing to give it a go with 19-year-old Shotaro Morii. The Japanese phenom skipped the Nippon Professional Baseball draft to sign with the A's for $1.51 million last January -- a record bonus for a Japanese amateur. 

"The A's plan to let Morri continue both roles in 2026 with Low-A Stockton, where he could rotate between infield duties, DH, and a weekly mound appearance," wrote Baseball America. 

Morii did not make a pitching appearance in 2025, hitting .258/.399/.384 with three home runs and a .784 OPS in 188 plate appearances in the Arizona Complex League. 

A prospect destined for Las Vegas 

By the time Morii makes his Major League debut, the A's will most likely have made their full move from West Sacramento to Las Vegas. 

He is the Athletics' No. 21-ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline. 

"On the mound, his fastball has been clocked as high as 95 mph and sits around 92-93," Morii's bio reads. "He also brings a splitter with nasty movement, a true 12-to-6 curveball, and a tighter slider with solid bite and depth, though that offering will probably require some fine-tuning." 

Morii will require several years to develop his game on both sides of the ball, but it will be intriguing for both A's and baseball fans to keep track of his progress. 

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