Rintaro Sasaki
| Rintaro Sasaki | |
|---|---|
| Stanford Cardinal | |
| First baseman | |
| Born: April 18, 2005 Hanamaki, Iwate, Japan | |
Bats: Left Throws: Right | |
| Stats at Baseball Reference |
Rintaro Sasaki (born April 18, 2005) is a Japanese baseball first baseman for the Stanford Cardinal of Stanford University.
Career
Sasaki attended Hanamaki Higashi High School in Iwate Prefecture, and played for the school's baseball team. Sasaki set the Japanese high school record with 140 home runs.[1] He graduated in March 2024.[2]
Sasaki decided to enroll at Stanford University to play college baseball for the Stanford Cardinal rather than enter the Nippon Professional Baseball draft.[3] He arrived in time for the spring semester in 2024, but did not join the team for the 2024 season to acclimate to the United States.[4] Sasaki played for the Trenton Thunder of the MLB Draft League in June 2024[5] and for the Greeneville Flyboys of the Appalachian League in July.[6] He debuted with the Cardinal in 2025.[7] Baseball America rated Sasaki as the best freshman in collegiate baseball before the season.[8] He had a .269 batting average with seven home runs and 41 runs batted in in 52 games played for the Cardinal.[9] After the 2025 collegiate season, Sasaki played collegiate summer baseball for the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[10] He will be eligible for the 2025 Nippon Professional Baseball draft and the 2026 Major League Baseball draft.[9][4]
On October 23, 2025, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and the Yokohama DeNA BayStars selected him in the First Round of the NPB Draft, with the Hawks winning his negotiating rights.[11]
Personal life
Sasaki's father, Hiroshi, was his coach in high school.[12] Hiroshi also coached Shohei Ohtani and Yusei Kikuchi;[4] Kikuchi considers Rintaro to be like a younger brother.[13]
References
- ^ "Japanese prospect Rintaro Sasaki to join Thunder in MLB Draft League". June 10, 2024.
- ^ "Stanford-bound slugger Rintaro Sasaki is first-round MLB talent, coach says". The Japan Times. February 18, 2024.
- ^ Baggarly, Andrew. "A 19-year-old Stanford phenom is blazing a new trail from Japan to the majors" – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ a b c "College baseball's next big thing: Rintaro Sasaki". ESPN.com. April 15, 2025.
- ^ "Top Japanese prospect Rintaro Sasaki to make stateside debut in MLB Draft League". MLB.com.
- ^ "LIVE: Watch Japanese teen phenom Sasaki make Appalachian League debut". MLB.com.
- ^ McCAULEY, JANIE (February 13, 2025). "At Stanford, Japanese prospect Rintaro Sasaki finds home away from home as a college student". AP News.
- ^ Koch, Geoff (August 17, 2025). "Top MLB prospect Rintaro Sasaki is committed to doing it 'the hard way'". The Japan Times.
- ^ a b "Baseball: NPB teams able to draft Sasaki of Stanford University this fall". Japan Wire by KYODO NEWS. August 19, 2025.
- ^ Gunn, Allen. "Sasaki set records in his home country of Japan. Now, he's forging his path to the MLB". Cape Cod Times.
- ^ "Baseball: Hawks win negotiation rights to Stanford's Sasaki". Mainichi Shimbun. October 23, 2025.
- ^ "Japanese slugger Rintaro Sasaki blazing his own baseball path in US via Stanford, MLB Draft League". AP News. June 11, 2024.
- ^ "Kikuchi used to babysit newest Japanese phenom". MLB.com.
External links
- Career statistics from Baseball Reference (Minors)