SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) 鈥� Shotaro Morii has just finished lifting weights before a game on an unseasonably warm May afternoon in the Bay Area when he and teammate Itsuki Takemoto burst into laughter, their cackling so loud it most certainly can be heard out on the field.
Morii is gaining attention as a rising three-way prospect from Japan in the Athletics鈥� farm system 鈥� a hitter and pitcher who unlike Shohei Ohtani also plays the infield. Countryman and baseball roommate Takemoto enjoys teasing Morii at every chance. They are having a blast chasing their big league dreams.
鈥淚 love him!鈥� shouts Morii, who wasn’t in the lineup for that May 20 game with the Single-A Stockton Ports at San Jose after he played second base a night earlier then started on the mound the next day. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a funny guy. I talk to him about baseball stuff. He has played baseball in the United States like maybe three or four years. He gives advice to me.鈥�
Morii is quickly becoming comfortable in his new surroundings, speaking near-perfect English, too. It’s something he was determined to do in order to better communicate both on the field and in everyday life.
Like many players from Japan, Morii has been inspired by Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way star.
Morii isn’t ready to choose just one position, embracing the challenge and daunting schedule demands of trying to hit, pitch and defend. He skipped the draft back home in Japan to pursue this path in the United States.
鈥淭his is great,鈥� he shared. 鈥淟ast year I couldn鈥檛 do pitching. I鈥檓 really happy to be doing pitching and hitting.鈥�
Morii’s growth isn’t just about what happens on the diamond
Morii stands behind the cage between his rounds of batting practice and intently listens to hitting coach Jos茅 Ortiz, shaking his head to signal he understands. Then he’s off to the weight room for some lifting.
At 19, Morii loves all of his positions and is so appreciative of the A’s allowing him to be a utility player and not specialize 鈥� not yet, anyway.
He didn鈥檛 want an interpreter this year, so it forced Morii to learn English and be a better communicator with his teammates and coaches.
鈥淪peaking English is one of my dreams, that I was dreaming about that,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 play baseball here, but also I live in the United States so it鈥檚 necessary to speak English.鈥�
Last year, Morii regularly kept headphones in his ears listening to music but realized that wasn鈥檛 helping him become more comfortable in his new surroundings or with the language barrier.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been good. He鈥檚 done a good job, fit right in,鈥� manager Darryl Kennedy said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 going to be really fun to watch. He鈥檚 done a great job.”
With so much to work on, quality reps are critical
The volume here is a drastic difference from what he鈥檚 used to back home: In Japan, it鈥檚 normal to take 400 swings a day.
And now?
鈥淲e think the quantity is the most important thing in Japan,鈥� Morii explained. 鈥淏ut here, quality is the most important thing.鈥�
He is adjusting to a slower pace and thoughtful progression. Morii pitches every Thursday, and the Ports started him at just one inning 鈥� as an opener, per se 鈥� in his initial four appearances to build him up before he pitched two innings for the first time last week at Ontario, and then he will eventually go to three. He is 0-2 with an 10.50 ERA for the Ports over five outings on the mound spanning six innings, while batting .174 with two doubles, a triple, four RBIs and two stolen bases.
Morii can’t wait to stay out there and pitch deeper into games. He knows that time will come.
鈥淩ight now we’re just happy that he’s on the field and playing,” Kennedy said. 鈥淗e’s a very mature kid for a 19-year-old. To come over here from Japan all by himself and be able to survive is an accomplishment in itself.鈥�
In March, Morii injured his right hamstring during the MLB Spring Breakout in Arizona, an exhibition for top minor league prospects. He then spent close to two months rehabilitating at the A鈥檚 minor league complex in Mesa, Arizona, even changing his running mechanics to help protect the leg for the long haul.
With guidance from an athletic trainer, he has learned to shorten his stride, not an easy task after running one way all his life.
鈥淚t helps a lot,鈥� he said.
Each day has become about making adjustments 鈥� some big like the running motion, some just smaller tweaks.
Ortiz played nine years in Japan, so he can relate to the pressures in the baseball-crazed country and the determination of players like Morii.
鈥淗e鈥檚 been getting more comfortable,鈥� Ortiz said. 鈥淗e wants to do everything perfectly, which sometimes is going to be hard.鈥�
Players who played three ways at lower levels appreciate Morii’s challenge
San Francisco Giants infielder Casey Schmitt did it all during college at San Diego State. He hit, played the infield and came in as a relief pitcher, even starting a handful of games on the mound when needed.
Schmitt has homered while playing five different positions 鈥� first base, second, third, left field and as designated hitter.
He鈥檚 rooting for Morii to play all of his positions at the highest level one day.
鈥淗e鈥檚 doing it in pro ball further than I ever did it,鈥� Schmitt said, sitting in the dugout at Oracle Park before a recent game.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 good, especially being 19, being young, being able to learn all those new things. When I started learning new positions, I was here. I debuted when I was 23, so I started learning a whole bunch of new positions up here. To be doing it at 19, he鈥檚 in low-A and he gets to work on all these things and he鈥檒l get to high-A and continue to work on it in Double-A, Triple-A and in the future the majors. That鈥檚 really awesome to be doing it at that age.鈥�
Morii is the latest sign of Ohtani’s influence
Ohtani鈥檚 influence on the next generation might mean that even more players avoid specializing, opting to try multiple positions.
鈥淜ids grow up admiring and envisioning them being the next version of whoever their heroes are or the guys that are on Instagram or whatever doing great things,鈥� Giants manager Tony Vitello said. 鈥淚n my experience it鈥檚 been more the player that puts down the bat or puts down the pitching glove then it is coaches, and so I think the more players see that it鈥檚 possible the more they鈥檒l push forward for that.鈥�
Morii plans to keep his options open by playing a variety of spots 鈥� trusting everybody who is helping him manage it all.
鈥淔or me, playing baseball is the most enjoyable thing,” he said. 鈥淪o when I feel homesick, I just play baseball. Playing baseball here is the biggest dream.鈥�
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