ODDS and EVENS | Stanford's Rintaro Sasaki Strives for Excellence as a Sophomore

Rintaro Sasaki is back in the swing of things. And with a bat in his hands, he's a formidable figure on a baseball field.

The hefty 184-cm Sasaki produced prodigious power-hitting statistics for Iwate Prefecture's Hanamaki Higashi High School baseball program, establishing a national record with 140 home runs.

Now, he's in the early days of his sophomore season at Stanford University. The California-based school opened its season with a trio of games against the University of Arizona, the University of Michigan and Oregon State from February 13-15 in Surprise, Arizona.

In the opening game, Sasaki went 2-for-4 with a bases-empty round-tripper over the right-field fence and a double to left. Stanford defeated Arizona 10-7.

The home run produced a satisfying swing.

"I was able to swing without forcing it and follow through completely," Sasaki said, according to Sports Nippon.

In a related news report, published by Daily Sports, Sasaki gave this assessment of his batting performance: "It's not perfect yet, but I think I performed well."

*Stanford slugger Rintaro Sasaki holds the Japanese high school record for home runs (140). He attended Iwate Prefecture's Hanamaki Higashi High School. (©KYODO)*

An Update on Stanford's Season

Through Sunday, February 22, the left-handed slugger has appeared in every Stanford game. Stanford went 4-4 in that season-opening stretch. Cardinal head coach David Esquer's squad also beat Waseda University 11-3 in an exhibition game on February 25.

In Stanford's eight official games to date, Sasaki has a .167 batting average (4-for-24) with two doubles and a homer.

As a freshman in 2025, he appeared in 52 games and had a .269 batting average with seven homers and 41 RBIs. Sasaki finished his collegiate rookie campaign with a .413 slugging percentage.

In a recent interview with MLB.com, Sasaki summarized his top goal for the 2026 college baseball season.

"As a middle-of-the-order hitter, contributing with my bat is my role," Sasaki told Major League Baseball's official website.

Juggling Academics and Baseball

Sasaki, who has yet to declare a major, has dedicated himself to his academic workload, too. He was named to the 2025 Atlantic Coast Conference All-Academic Team. (A quick reminder, amidst college sports' major conference shakeup in recent years, Stanford left the Pac-12 Conference and joined the ACC.)

Keeping busy with baseball practices and games, lifting weights, and other aspects of physical training and maintaining solid grades in the classroom is a constant challenge, according to Sasaki.

"The hardest part is managing myself and my time," he told MLB.com.

In an online interview with Kyodo News in late January, Sasaki said he's become a more mature individual since his arrival on campus. He called Stanford University "a place that helps me grow as a person."

Despite his busy schedule, Sasaki's experiences as a Stanford student-athlete half a world away from Iwate Prefecture will stay with him forever.

Ex-Stanford baseball player Cal Quantrill, now a pitcher for the Texas Rangers, encouraged Sasaki to embrace the college experience.

"I know baseball and academics keep you busy, but make the most of it, expand your experiences, and make lots of friends in college," Quantrill was quoted as saying in the MLB.com article. "College friendships are irreplaceable."

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Will Rintaro Sasaki Turn Pro in 2026?

According to MLB rules, a player must complete his junior year as a college player or turn 21 years old before being eligible for the annual draft in July.

Sasaki turns 21 on April 18.

He is considered a strong prospect, commanding the attention of baseball scouts and front-office executives.

Adding a layer of intrigue to Sasaki's future plans ― and ongoing college career ― is the fact that he was the No 1 overall pick in the 2025 Nippon Professional Baseball draft. The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks selected Sasaki last November, and the reigning Japan Series champions must wait until Stanford's season wraps up in May or June to initiate contract negotiations with him.

Sasaki, of course, would have the option of returning to Stanford for his junior season in 2027. Or, which appears quite likely, launching his pro baseball career in the minor leagues after MLB's July draft.

But first things first, Sasaki insisted.

After all, there are dozens of games left to play at Stanford this season. And that's his top priority.

"My responsibility now is to compete as a member of Stanford," the Japanese slugger told MLB.com. "I don't know how things will turn out in the end. But for now, I want to focus on the season ahead."

Author: Ed Odeven

Follow Ed's [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and he can be found on X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.