I clearly felt that his body has gotten stronger, and his swing speed has improved. He squared up a 90 mph fastball over the middle of the plate the other way and hit a triple; his time was 11.67 seconds. In the last inning he came to the mound: fastball 90–91 mph, slider 76–77 mph, changeup 75 mph. He touched 95 mph in May. He runs a 5.9-second 50 m, which projects to the 6.3–6.4 range over 60 yards.

His fundamental infield actions appear to have become smoother and more consistent. He plays for one of Japan's premier high school programs and has shown the ability to lead under constant attention and expectation. Although today's game was only a qualifying round, he played aggressively in front of a crowd of more than 10,000 spectators, showing confidence and composure under pressure. He can also pitch, making him an intriguing player with plenty of versatility and upside.

He brings great energy to the entire team and genuinely enjoys playing the game. He shows leadership at shortstop and has a high baseball IQ. He's an instinctive player who can execute the little things: he successfully pulled off a delayed steal, isn't afraid to drop down a safety bunt, and has enough strength to drive the baseball when needed, and because he consistently finishes his swing he gets down the line well.

Athletically, he has top-of-the-scale arm strength and running speed for a Japanese high school player. He attacks the baseball aggressively, and you can see the confidence that comes from his arm strength.