Rintaro Sasaki, Japanese Prep Phenom, Commits To Stanford
Rintaro Sasaki, who set the Japanese high school home run record, has signed a letter of intent to play at Stanford, the school announced Tuesday. Sasaki will join the Cardinal’s 2024 recruiting class.
“He may be the most high-profile international prospect to play college baseball in the United States in a long time,” coach David Esquer said. “His power bat plays right into our style of play, and we look forward to him contributing immediately to help us achieve our goals of competing for and winning national titles.”
Sasaki hit 140 home runs in his high school career and was projected to be the top selection in the Nippon Professional Baseball draft. He last fall opted for another route, however, and declared he would forego the draft and instead pursue the opportunity to play college baseball. While there have been some Japanese players that have come to America for college in recent seasons, such as UC Irvine third baseman Jo Oyama and former Oregon outfielder Rikuu Nishida, there has never been a player of Sasaki’s stature to bypass NPB in favor of college baseball.
Listed at 6-foot, 250 pounds, Sasaki stands out most for his massive raw power, which grades out at least as well above-average. He’s not all power, however. He has a good feel for the barrel, creates easy bat speed and has an advanced approach at the plate. He’s a solid defender at first base.
Sasaki is a premier player and the unique nature of his profile made for a fascinating recruitment. In the end, it was Stanford that secured his commitment. The Cardinal’s recruiting class fell just shy of the Top 25 on Signing Day in November, but Sasaki’s addition is a significant boost for the group, which now looks like a potential top-20 class.
Sasaki will graduate high school in March and enroll at Stanford for its spring quarter in April. He will not play for the Cardinal until 2025, coinciding with the program’s move from the Pac-12 to the ACC. Stanford has made three straight trips to the College World Series and enters 2024 ranked No. 15 in the Preseason Top 25.
Sasaki’s decision to come to America for college is interesting on a number of levels, including the financial aspect. The more traditional path that would have seen him be drafted into NPB and perhaps eventually come to MLB through a posting fee, would likely have netted him more money and more control over his eventual MLB home. Now, he’ll be subject to the MLB draft, joining the 2027 draft class.
Sasaki’s decision could be the start of a new trend of Japanese players coming to America for college. For now, however, it will make for a fascinating next few years.
