SoftBank Hawks secured the right to negotiate with top Japanese power hitter Rintaro Sasaki from Stanford University as their initial selection in the Nippon Professional Baseball draft on Thursday.
The Pacific League champions, the Hawks, participated in a two-way draw with the DeNA BayStars to secure the rights to the 20-year-old first baseman, who began his studies at Stanford last year after opting out of NPB’s draft in the fall of 2023.
Sasaki, who concluded his initial season at Stanford in May with a .269 batting average, seven home runs, and 41 RBIs in 52 games, will be eligible for the Major League Baseball draft next year.
“Whatever you choose between Japan and the United States, I respect it,” said former Hawk and Seattle Mariner Kenji Johjima after winning the lottery for his former team.
It’s a special case with him; he won’t be joining us from the beginning of next year (even if he opts for us), but we consider him an appealing player worth taking that chance.
A left-handed batter made the news after hitting 140 home runs, including in informal matches, during his time at Hanamaki Higashi High School in Iwate Prefecture.
His father, Hiroshi, is a well-known high school baseball coach, having mentored current MLB stars Shohei Ohtani and Yusei Kikuchi during their years at the institution.
Top hitter Masahiro Tateishi from Soka University was the most desired player in this year’s draft, as the Central League champions Hanshin Tigers secured a three-team lottery against the Hiroshima Carp and Nippon Ham Fighters.
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