Sasaki Opts for Miami: Power Prospect Forgoes NPB for MLB Path

Rintaro Sasaki has decided to begin his professional baseball career in the United States, as Sports Illustrated first reported. Speaking to reporters in his hometown of Hanamaki City, Japan, the former Stanford product announced he will sign with the Miami Marlins, who selected him in the eighth round of the 2026 MLB draft.

Sasaki's path to the professional ranks was unconventional. While most Japanese players of his caliber enter the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) system directly out of high school, Sasaki chose to move to the U.S. to play for Stanford. This decision provided a more direct route toward his goal of reaching the Major Leagues. Before his collegiate career, Sasaki had already established himself as a premier amateur talent in Japan, where he set a high school record with 140 career home runs, Sports Illustrated reports.

His tenure at Stanford showed steady growth. After a debut season featuring seven home runs and a .790 OPS, Sasaki improved in 2026, hitting 16 home runs with a .952 OPS and nearly balancing his walk and strikeout totals.

The primary draw for the Marlins is Sasaki's raw power. Sports Illustrated notes that at the MLB draft combine, Sasaki recorded a max exit velocity of 115.4 mph and hit a home run measuring 458 feet. To provide a Major League frame of reference, that exit velocity exceeds the career highs of several established stars: Freddie Freeman (114.6 mph), Mookie Betts (114.7 mph), and Paul Goldschmidt (114.0 mph).

While the Marlins have not yet issued an official announcement and the MLB Draft tracker does not indicate he has signed, the signing was reported by Japanese outlets including The Yakyu Cosmopolitan. The deadline for Sasaki to sign his bonus deal is July 27, with the assigned slot worth $239,000.

For Miami, the acquisition represents a potential draft steal, provided Sasaki can consistently utilize his elite bat speed against professional pitching.