The most high-profile international prospect to ever choose to play college baseball has decided on his school, and he's fittingly headed for a powerhouse.
Rintaro Sasaki, a 250-pound Japanese high school slugger whom some people have likened to former MLB slugger Prince Fielder, has committed to Stanford. The school confirmed the commitment in a press release. Sasaki is expected to join the team for the 2025 season.
Rintaro Sasaki, #1 High School prospect and Japanese Prince Fielder has committed to @StanfordBSB ?
140 career HRs and was graded as a 70 power on the 20-80 scale ? pic.twitter.com/CCZrLUzeRr
— 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7) February 14, 2024
The best of the best play on The Farm ?
Welcome to Stanford, Rintaro Sasaki!#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/5p4JGZzoQT
— Stanford Baseball (@StanfordBSB) February 14, 2024
Sasaki wasn't quite Shohei Ohtani's level of status, but he was as close to it as a high school player could be. He broke the unofficial Japanese high school home run record with 140 long balls while playing at Hanamaki Higashi High School, the same school that produced — Shohei Ohtani. The previous home run record? Kotaro Kiyomiya's 111 homers.
What's notable about Sasaki is that he was expected to be the first overall pick in the Nippon Professional Baseball Draft, but he passed on potentially millions of dollars to pursue college in the United States. Just how much money? As Yuri Karasawa of JapanBall.com wrote last year, NPB slugger Munetaka Murakami "will make well over $20 million in his NPB career before his 26th birthday."
Sasaki could've been influenced by the likes of Ohtani and other Japanese players who have blossomed in Major League Baseball. Playing in the NCAA could be a way to adapt to baseball in the U.S. more quickly and easily. Sasaki's decision could also pave the way for future Japanese high school prospects to follow suit.
Choosing Stanford certainly wasn't a bad decision, either. The Cardinal have reached the College World Series the last three seasons and boast two national championships, in 1987 and 1988. Stanford fans should be absolutely elated, too, because Sasaki has some serious pop:
1B Rintaro Sasaki has reportedly narrowed his choices down to Vanderbilt, UCLA, Cal Berkeley, and Stanford.
Sasaki broke Kotaro Kiyomiya?s Japanese HS record for home runs with 140, but skipped the NPB Draft this past October to pursue college in the US.pic.twitter.com/rsZBMTemVP
— Yakyu Cosmopolitan (@yakyucosmo) January 20, 2024
Get ready, college baseball. Rintaro Sasaki is coming.
