Blessed with tantalizing baseball tools to go with his 6-foot-5 frame, recent ‘Iolani graduate Judah Ota has been a priority watch for MLB scouts in recent years.
Prior to his senior year at ‘Iolani, Ota displayed his talents at the 2025 Perfect Game USA National Showcase at Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The right-handed outfielder threw balls clocked at over 90 miles per hour while displaying his power in batting practice from the left side of the plate. Ota also showed elite speed, running the 60-yard dash in 6.72 seconds.
Intrigue in Ota has persisted leading up to the 2026 MLB Draft, which runs from July 11-13. Although Ota is committed to play collegiate baseball at the University of Arkansas in the fall, he's currently going through the pre-draft process to see where he stacks up among the country's best high school and collegiate prospects.
Ota recently earned a rare invite to the 2026 MLB Draft Combine, which will take place from June 23-26 at Chase Field, the same stadium where he turned heads last summer. Of the 335 invited high school and college names, Ota is the only player from a Hawai‘i school.
"It just means a lot being able to represent Hawai‘i," Ota recently told Aloha State Daily. "It's just a great feeling to be able to do it. Just hoping to be able to represent the right way."
Ahead of the combine, Ota is already on the Mainland, where he recently worked out for the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs.
Ota's tools were honed during batting practice sessions with his mother, Paula. With mom throwing the pitches during countless sessions, Ota's baseball career has continued to blossom.
"I'd just like to give a really big shoutout to my mom," Ota said. "She's been the most important person in my life. She throws me batting practice whenever I ask. She's just been the best. She's actually with me right now."
Although he was always a skilled player, Ota says he took the next step in his game during his time with the Hawai‘i Tigers, a local travel ball team run by Rick, Reid and Ron Nomura. Rigorous summer ball trips to Ohio with the Tigers proved to Ota that he was built to be a ballplayer.
"It was really then that I saw that I could compete with Mainland competition, and that was really when I kind of felt like this might be something that I could really pursue," Ota said.
Despite the intense interest shown in him from pro teams, Ota has his heart set on attending Arkansas and suiting up for the Razorbacks. Arkansas' pursuit of Ota began when he was an eighth grader. New rules prevented Ota from having contact with NCAA schools until he was a high school sophomore.
More than 30 schools wanted Ota's commitment, but he never forgot his initial courtship with Arkansas and how its coaching staff made him feel valued.
"When I took my official visit up to Arkansas, it was just an amazing opportunity," Ota recalled. "Their facilities are second to none, and Arkansas has a winning culture, great fans, and you really can't beat it."
If Ota makes his way to Fayetteville in the fall, he'll be following in the footsteps of prominent players from the Islands in Rick Nomura, Nolan Souza, and Wehiwa and Kuhio Aloy. Though Ota appreciates the Island connections Arkansas possesses, he says the program's winning culture is ultimately what attracted him the most.
With knowledge of how three years of college ball could benefit him, Ota is prepared to wait for his ultimate goal. He believes playing in the MLB one day will be a matter of when, not if.
"As of right now, the goal is just Arkansas in the fall, and just continue with that dream," Ota says. "It really just depends on a lot of things, but as of right now, it's really just going to Arkansas. (The combine) is just an awesome experience to be able to play in front of all these scouts. ... When I make it to the major leagues, I'll be happy to play anywhere."
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
