“It’s been a dream since I was a child.” Kitanakagusuku High School graduate Joey O’Brien drafted by Seattle Mariners in 6th round

“It’s been a dream since I was a child.” Kitanakagusuku High School graduate Joey O’Brien drafted by Seattle Mariners in 6th round

Joey O’Brien, who was selected in the 6th round of the MLB draft by the Seattle Mariners (Photograph provided by Takashi Sunagawa)


 

June 7, 2018 Ryukyu Shimpo Digital Edition

 

With a 155-km fastball and good slugging power, two-way prospect Joey O’Brien, 20, from Okinawa Prefectural Kitagusuku High School, and more recently the College of Southern Nevada, was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the sixth round of the MLB draft held from June 4-6. O’Brien went to the Mariners 178th overall.

 

O’Brien was born in America to a Japanese mother, Akemi Sunagawa, and an American father, John, before moving to Okinawa when he was three.

Growing up in Ishigaki, O’Brien started playing baseball with Atta Friends while at Kitagusuku Elementary, and continued playing on the school teams at both Kitagusuku Middle and High Schools.

After graduating high school, he continued onto the College of Southern Nevada with an eye of making the Major Leagues.

At 188 cm tall and weighing 97 km, O’Brien both throws and bats right-handed. Last year, O’Brien’s younger brother, Richard Sunagawa (Okinawa Shogaku High School), was selected 3rd in Japan’s developmental draft by the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.

 

O’Brien said, “Last year, [being drafted] didn’t seem real, but it has been a dream for me since I was a little kid.

I will do my best to climb up onto a major league mound in the next 2-3 years.

Since I am putting to use the skills I developed in Japan, I want to thank all of my past teammates.”

 

(English translation by T&CT and Sam Grieb)

 

Go to Japanese


　


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