Jo
Oyama

Cape Cod: After hitting .319/.418/.500 with seven homers and 14 stolen bases as a juco transfer for UC Irvine this spring, Oyama was passed over in the draft, but he made a real name for himself this summer on the Cape, where he was simply one of the best players in the league, a legitimate MVP candidate. He finished .360/.456/.613 with five homers, 11 doubles, six triples and six steals in 39 games for the Firebirds, serving as the electrifying catalyst atop the order. He added three more homers in seven postseason games, giving him eight for the summer overall — a startling figure for a 5-foot-7, 170-pound player who looks built to be a slasher. But clearly Oyama has sneaky juice in his compact frame. A lefthanded hitter, Oyama has an open setup with a pronounced but controlled leg lift and a bat waggle, then lowers his hands in a deep load and explodes through fastballs, which he loves to ambush early in counts. He has excellent balance and hand-eye coordination, as well as very fast hands, helping him find barrel after barrel. His power is primarily to the pull side, but he also gets his share of opposite-field line-drive hits. And Oyama controls the zone well, drawing 25 walks against 28 strikeouts this summer, contributing to his table-setting excellence. Defensively, he’s limited to second base, but his arm plays well at the position and he can really turn the double play. He also moves well laterally and has sure hands and natural actions. He’s a premium runner who posted run times between 3.96 and 4.04 seconds in some of our looks this summer. As an undersized player who will turn 23 this November, Oyama is fighting an uphill battle to break into organized pro ball in the United State, but if he keeps performing like he did this summer, he could force a pro team to give him the chance he deserves. You can count on one thing: Oyama will be one of the most exciting players to watch in college baseball in 2024.