Will Shotaro Morii Be Able to Continue as Two-Way Prospect For A's?

Will Shotaro Morii be able to break through as a two-way star?

Jul 22, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Athletics glove and hat on the field before the game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

When the A's signed Shotaro Morii last offseason, he was the international prospect that everyone wanted to talk about. Not only was he coming straight to the United States to play ball, forgoing time in the NPB, but he was also a two-way player that we haven't seen before.

While it's tough to imagine anyone having the same success that Shohei Ohtani has had as a two-way player, Morii wanted to attempt to make his own mark by both pitching and playing shortstop. A key reason why he chose to sign with the A's was that they were going to allow him to try both phases of his game.

During the 2025 campaign at the age of 18 years old, Morii played in the Arizona Complex League solely as a hitter, though he got work on the mound behind the scenes. In the box, he recorded 151 at-bats and hit .258 with a .399 OBP and a .783 OPS, adding three home runs, a triple, and eight doubles. He also struck out in 25% of his at-bats at the complex level.

The plan for Morii in 2026

The plan for the A's in 2026 is to unleash Morii as a full two-way player as a member of the Stockton Ports to begin the 2026 campaign, getting work on the infield, at DH, and his weekly turn in the rotation.

Baseball America also recently listed Morii as one of the A's potential breakout prospects for 2026, saying, "While he only hit three homers, Morii’s underlying exit velocities were above-average for his age, though scouts don’t see a ton of physical projection remaining, which could also impact his defensive home.

"He has an above-average arm but fringy range at shortstop that could one day push him to second or third base. On the mound, Morii is more raw. In limited looks, he showed a three-pitch mix fronted by a low-90s fastball along with decent feel for a splitter and a slider that acts more like a curveball, plus a smooth and repeatable delivery."

Morii was also a topic of conversation on BA's YouTube show, where the question was posed as to whether Morii would still be a two-way player at this time next season.

"No. I tend to think that this is such a rare thing. We certainly saw it with Shohei Ohtani," Geoff Pontes began. "The last time it had been done, in a real way, was Babe Ruth. We're talking a 100 year span of time that we did not see this in our game. Things are ever-evolving. There's always new information, new technology, new approaches, new ideas. It's just such a rare, difficult thing to do.

"The idea that somebody could potentially close—like Zach Neto, another two-way guy in college—where someone is a position player and then could maybe be a relief pitcher. I think there's maybe a possibility there."

Pontes goes on to say that it's just difficult for him to picture someone that is both a league-average hitter and pitcher, even beyond the development aspect. The injury risk would also play a role there, too. This is an interesting observation, as two-way players seemingly have more ways to get injured.

These are certainly valid points to make, as it's difficult to not only become a batter that can hit MLB pitching, but it's also tough to become a pitcher that can get big-league hitters out. That's why two-way players are so rare, even in today's game when players are more athletic than they've ever been. It's also worth noting that people doubted Ohtani when he came over, too.

For fans in the Stockton area, Morii will certainly be a reason to head out to a ballgame early in the season, because if it's clicking for him, he'll likely be sent off to High-A Lansing before long.

Hear @GeoffPontesBA thoughts on how realistic it is for Shotaro Morii to continue as a two-way player ⤵️ https://t.co/F1Seg3PikI pic.twitter.com/JVIytZtR93

— SleeperAthletics (@SleeperAth) January 25, 2026