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[ODDS and EVENS] Baseball Phenom Rintaro Sasaki Forges Own Path by Deciding to Attend Stanford

Turning down a chance to start his pro career as a teenager in Japan, Rintaro Sasaki will further develop his skills at Stanford before aiming to play in MLB.

Published

2 months ago

February 16, 2024

Ed Odeven

Iwate Prefecture's Hanamaki Higashi High School slugger Rintaro Sasaki bats in the ninth inning against Sendai Ikuei Gakuen High School in the 105th National High School Baseball Championship on August 19, 2023, at Koshien Stadium. (ⒸSANKEI)

Read the full story on SportsLook - [ODDS and EVENS] Baseball Phenom Rintaro Sasaki Forges Own Path by Deciding to Attend Stanford

In the future, teenage superstar slugger Rintaro Sasaki aspires to be a successful Major League Baseball player, following in the footsteps of Hanamaki Higashi High School graduates Shohei Ohtani and Yusei Kikuchi.

Sasaki, who will graduate from the Iwate Prefecture school in March, is preparing to enroll at Stanford University in April.

The all-time leader in home runs (140, including in unofficial games) in Japanese high school baseball history, Sasaki could have chosen to enter the 2023 NPB draft in the autumn. Sasaki, currently recognized as the top current high school baseball prospect in his homeland, was expected to be the No 1 pick.

Instead, he chose an unconventional path for an elite Japanese baseball player, opting to attend an American university, play the college game and strive to reach the majors.

For context, remember this: The Chicago White Sox selected University of Oregon's Rikuu Nishida, an Osaka native, in the 11th round of the MLB's amateur draft in June 2023. Nishida was the only Japanese player selected in the past decade.

Sasaki will be eligible to be drafted by an MLB team after three seasons at Stanford, a college baseball powerhouse that has appeared in three consecutive College World Series. Since 2000, 19 Stanford players have been chosen in the first round of the MLB draft.

Sasaki, who turns 19 on April 18, signed a national letter of intent to play baseball at Stanford on Tuesday, February 13.

A Decision That Will Influence Rintaro Sasaki's Future

Moving away from Japan can help Sasaki mature as an athlete and as a person. I think he's made a smart decision.

In addition, the new environment at Stanford will help him broaden his views about the world at large. And the opportunity to learn English on a daily basis at the highly respected university could benefit him if he makes it to the majors.

Before that time, Sasaki will have an opportunity to compete for a spot in the Stanford lineup and further develop his impressive baseball skills.

Former NPB and MLB star Hideki Matsui, the 2009 World Series MVP, believes Sasaki has made the right choice.

"I think he's going to gain experience he can't get in Japan, in both his studies and in baseball," Matsui, a spring training instructor for the Yomiuri Giants, was quoted as saying by Kyodo News in Miyazaki.

The retired slugger known as "Godzilla," during his pro career added, "I wish him a good college life. Graduating there will be hard. That was the thing that stuck most in my mind."

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[JAPAN SPORTS NOTEBOOK] University of Oregon's Rikuu Nishida Selected in 11th Round of MLB Draft

Author: Ed Odeven

Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.