Two former Yale Secondary international students have been selected in Japan’s 2026 Nippon Professional Baseball draft. Kansai Sugimoto was picked in the third round by the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, and Fudai Nerei was chosen by the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in the developmental draft.
Both students attended Yale Secondary through the Abbotsford School District’s international program and took part in its baseball academy. Sugimoto later continued at the University of British Columbia, while Nerei played at Fresno City College.
The selections are a notable milestone for the players and a connection between Abbotsford’s school athletics and professional sport overseas. A draft selection, however, is not the same as a confirmed future appearance in a top-level league game.
Source: Abbotsford School District. Abbotsford Local reporting based on the institution’s published announcement; no independent interview is claimed.
Related local coverage: Read about the student leadership conference at Yale Secondary.