The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks stunned the baseball world by selecting Stanford University slugger Rintaro Sasaki as their first-round pick, a player who is widely seen as keen on joining the major leagues.
The Hawks won the negotiation rights to the young Japanese star at the draft held in Tokyo on Oct. 23 among the 12 teams in Nippon Professional Baseball.
Picking Sasaki in the first round was considered risky because the Japanese team may never get a chance to sign him.
Although Sasaki was a top prospect in 2023, he skipped the NPB draft and opted to study abroad, citing a desire to “expand life’s possibilities.”
According to National Collegiate Athletic Association rules, contract negotiations are prohibited until a player’s college season concludes.
Now a sophomore at Stanford University, Sasaki will be eligible for the major league draft in July 2026.
The Hawks acknowledged the risk that Sasaki could be drafted by a major league team and choose to remain overseas.
But Kenji Jojima, SoftBank’s chief baseball officer, said the team had no doubts about picking the left-handed power hitter.
“Our message is clear: We chose Sasaki as our top pick,” Jojima said. “I believe that’s been well communicated.”
The Yokohama DeNA BayStars had also picked Sasaki in the first round, forcing a lottery for the negotiating rights.
When Jojima drew the winning lottery ticket, he flashed a smile toward team Chairman Sadaharu Oh.
Sasaki holds the Japanese high school record with 140 career home runs.
After graduating from Hanamaki Higashi High School in Iwate Prefecture, Sasaki chose to attend Stanford not only for its elite baseball program but also for its academic rigor. He has expressed interest in business and management.
Sasaki led Baseball America’s Top 25 Freshmen list for 2025.
“He’s a special hitter, worth the risk,” Jojima said.
His eligibility for the NPB draft this year was made possible through coordination between NPB, Major League Baseball and other governing bodies.
SoftBank, a perennial powerhouse in the Pacific League that has reached the Japan Series championship this season, is in the market for a power hitter now that veteran slugger Yuki Yanagita has turned 37.
Oh, Japan’s professional home run king, revealed he spoke with Sasaki by phone after the draft.
“He was thrilled, and that made us happy too,” Oh said.
A company supporting Sasaki issued a statement saying no immediate decisions or actions would be taken regarding his future.
“Whether fate brings him to us or not, imagining Sasaki thriving on our team is incredibly exciting,” Jojima said. “Ultimately, we’ll respect his choice: Japan or the United States.”
Original Source: This article was originally published on Asahi Sports. Click the link to view the full article.