Reports: Japanese phenom Rintaro Sasaki to play college ball in U.S.
Sportsnaut
30 minutes ago
Rintaro Sasaki, a 17-year-old first baseman from Japan, did not enter the Nippon Professional Baseball draft and instead intends to play college baseball in the United States, multiple reports said Tuesday.
Sasaki is 6-feet, 250 pounds and known for his raw power. He broke the Japanese high school career home run record by bashing 140 long balls.
Sasaki played for his father at Hanamaki-Higashi High School, where Shohei Ohtani also played in his teenage years.
According to Baseball America, a Japanese prospect named Rikuu Nishida was selected in the 11th round of this year’s MLB Draft after spending two years at a junior college in Oregon. But Sasaki is a big enough talent that he is expected to commit to a Division I school.
As an international player, Sasaki is not eligible for a traditional name, image and likeness (NIL) deal to earn money while playing in college.
Sportsnaut
30 minutes ago
Rintaro Sasaki, a 17-year-old first baseman from Japan, did not enter the Nippon Professional Baseball draft and instead intends to play college baseball in the United States, multiple reports said Tuesday.
Sasaki is 6-feet, 250 pounds and known for his raw power. He broke the Japanese high school career home run record by bashing 140 long balls.
Sasaki played for his father at Hanamaki-Higashi High School, where Shohei Ohtani also played in his teenage years.
According to Baseball America, a Japanese prospect named Rikuu Nishida was selected in the 11th round of this year’s MLB Draft after spending two years at a junior college in Oregon. But Sasaki is a big enough talent that he is expected to commit to a Division I school.
As an international player, Sasaki is not eligible for a traditional name, image and likeness (NIL) deal to earn money while playing in college.
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Summary
17-year-old Japanese baseball prodigy Rintaro Sasaki, known for his raw power and 140 home runs record, intends to play college ball in the U.S. instead of joining the Nippon Professional Baseball draft. He could commit to a Division I school, following the path of fellow Japanese player Shohei