There was a curious notation next to the names of two of the top four players selected in the Major League Baseball draft this month. For Hunter Greene, selected No. 2 over all, it was RHP/SS, while for Brendan McKay, No. 4, it was LHP/1B.

Both of these prospects are the rare birds who are able to pitch and hit. And they may soon be joined in the majors by Shohei Otani, a pitching and hitting star for the Nippon Ham Fighters of the Pacific League in Japan.

While most people expect each of these players to be steered exclusively to either hitting or hurling, there remains the tantalizing possibility that one of them could become the first major leaguer in a century to do both regularly.

Their dual status is not nominal. Greene, a 17-year-old California high schooler selected by the Reds, hit .324 and had a career E.R.A. of 1.62. McKay, 21, selected by the Rays, was 11-3 with a .341 batting average for Louisville. Otani has starred in Japan at the plate and on the mound.