Japanese high schooler Rintaro Sasaki is planning to attend college and play baseball in the United States rather than take part in the Nippon Professional Baseball draft, according to reports out of Japan. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Baseball America’s Peter Flaherty both shed some more light on the situation, including just how unusual it is for a highly-touted Japanese prospect to opt for the American college system (and subsequently, eventually being eligible for the MLB draft) rather than staying in NPB.
Sasaki was one of the favorites as the first pick in the upcoming NPB draft, so there’s certainly some risk for the 17-year-old in betting on himself and instead heading to college. He isn’t eligible for an NIL deal due to his international student status, but McDaniel writes that “industry chatter and a Japanese report have pegged Vanderbilt as an early leader” among what is sure to be quite a few suitors for the first baseman. McDaniel also adds in a follow-up tweet that Sasaki will likely start playing college ball in 2025, not in the coming season.
At 6’0″ and 250 pounds, Sasaki carries plenty of thunder in his bat, with Flaherty and McDaniel both giving him a 70 grade for power on the 20-80 scouting scale. “While his power is his premier tool, Sasaki also has a knack for consistently finding the barrel and has a great feel to hit,” Flaherty writes. “He has plenty of bat speed as well as big time ’buggy whip’ in his hands. Sasaki has also shown an advanced approach and has walked twice as many times as he has struck out.”
How this potential might translate to the NCAA ranks is yet to be determined, given the differences between Japanese and American high-school competition. Even with this in mind, McDaniel notes that the “scouting consensus is that Sasaki currently is roughly a third-round draft prospect.”
If Sasaki had been drafted by a NPB team and gone on to a regular career in Japanese ball, he wouldn’t have been a full free agent (and thus allowed to explore interest from MLB clubs) until after he’d completed nine full seasons of pro ball. It is possible Sasaki could have had a shorter wait than nine years if his team had agreed to post him, though perhaps only a shorter wait of a year or two at most, plus some NPB teams insist on their players fulfilling the entire nine-year minimum.
Since playing in Major League Baseball seems to be Sasaki’s ultimately goal, his decision to bypass the NPB draft system puts him in position to join an MLB organization much earlier. Of course, actually reaching the majors might still be some years away (if ever) since Sasaki still has to play college ball and then likely get through at least a few minor league seasons before getting consideration for a big league roster. That said, it is a bold move by a young player who clearly believes in his ability, and who might also start a new trend for Japanese high school prospects willing to forego NPB for a quicker shot at the majors.
