The M-League 2025-26 Draft is in just a few days! Today, we’ll take a look at everything you need to know about the draft, as well as some potential candidates that we’re keeping an eye on.
The Draft
The M-League 2025-26 Draft will take place on June 30 starting at 17:00 JST. It will be broadcast live on the ABEMA Mahjong Channel. The broadcast is expected to last 90 minutes and is likely to also include interviews from the managers who drafted.
Drafting Order
With the addition of the Earth Jets this season, they will have the opportunity to draft first. Afterwards, the remaining teams that have vacancies in their roster will pick one player each, going in reverse standings order of the 2024-25 season. This process repeats until all vancancies have been filled.
- Earth Jets (1st pick)
- Earth Jets (2nd pick)
- Earth Jets (3rd pick)
- Earth Jets (4th pick)
- Beast X (1st pick)
- EX Furinkazan (1st pick)
- Kadokawa Sakura Knights (1st pick)
- Beast X (2nd pick)
- EX Furinkazan (2nd pick)
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
Potential Candidates
Drafting teams have the option to draft from any of the five supporting professional mahjong organizations:
- Japan Professional Mahjong Federation (JPML)
- Nihon Pro Mahjong (NPM)
- Saikouisen Pro Mahjong (SPM)
- Mahjong Union (Mu/μ!)
- Real Mahjong Unit (RMU)
Note: M-League Watch predictions to follow. Teams are not limited to the players listed below, nor are they guarantees of any player being drafted.
Top players from the mahjong circuit are always top contenders for good results. Focus on choosing them is on the Earth Jets, who will have the first four picks in the draft. Some top pros and fan favourites include:
- Ishii Kazuma (石井一馬) (Saikouisen) (Current Saikoui, 2-time Saikouisen Classic winner)
- Hiro Shibata (HIRO柴田) (JPML) (JPML A1 League, 39th JPML Hououi, 2-time Grand Prix MAX winner)
- Kuwada Kenta (桑田憲汰) (JPML) (Back-to-back Saikyousen winner, WRC 2025 Under-29 Team)
- Gao Yunfei (高雲飛) (Saikouisen) (23rd Tenhoui, first non-Japanese Tenhoui)
- Akutsu Shota (阿久津翔太) (JPML) (1st Young Lion Cup winner, WRC 2025 Under-29 Team)
The Earth Jets also have to choose at least one female player. Some top female players include:
- Aikawa Marie (相川まりえ) (Saikouisen) (28th Saikouisen Women’s League Champion)
- Aikawa Megumu (逢川恵夢) (NPM) (current and 5-time NPM Mahjong Queen)
- Asahina Yuri (朝比奈ゆり) (JPML) (9th Cherry Bud Cup, 16th WRC League Champion, WRC 2025 Under-29 Team)
- Nakata Kana (仲田加南) (JPML) (4-time Cherry Blossom Cup winner)
For all teams, there is some new excitement in the possibility of bringing back old faces. With the addition of former M-Leaguers, teams have the opportunity to both give the player a second chance and to bring the player’s fan base to the team. Former M-Leaguers that were dropped or have left in the past three years include:
- Uotani Yuumi (JPML)
- Uchikawa Kotaro (JPML)
- Kondo Seiichi (JPML)
- Murakami Jun (Saikouisen)
- Asakura Koushin (Saikouisen)
- Ishibashi Nobuhiro (Saikouisen)
- Maruyama Kanako (Saikouisen)
- Tojo Rio (JPML)
- Sarukawa Masatoshi (JPML)
- Sugawara Hiroe (JPML)
For the Beast X, Shimoishi Geki (下石戟) (NPM) will fill in one of the two spots for winning the Beast X New Member Audition. For the other spot, other audition player
- Asai Yusuke (浅井裕介) (Saikouisen) (2025 Audition runner up)
- Arai Keibun (新井啓文) (Saikouisen) (2025 Audition 3rd place)
- Tomozoe Toshiyuki (友添敏之) (Saikouisen) (2025 Audition 6th place)
For the EX Furinkazan, Nagai Kousuke (永井孝典) (Saikouisen) will take one of the team’s two vacant spots because he won the EX Furinkazan
- Kouno Naoya (河野直也) (Saikouisen, M-League Colour Commentator) (Dropped out of audition semifinals due to illness)
- Hitotsui Shinya (一井慎也) (JPML, 1st Special Sparring Partner/IKUSA 2023 winner)
- Arai Keibun (新井啓文) (Saikouisen) (Eliminated in 1st round)
- Shinohara Saemi (篠原 冴美) (JPML, 3rd Special Sparring Partner/IKUSA 2025 winner) (Eliminated in 1st round)
M-League Watch 