Four NPB stars who could be Major League-bound

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If you’re a fan of one of the 26 teams that isn't still battling for the World Series, you’ve likely got one eye on the postseason and the other looking toward next spring. As you head to bed a little later than usual after watching postseason baseball, you're likely dreaming of free agent signings, wildly unrealistic trades, and breakout seasons from every one of your club’s prospects.

With the future on my mind, I reached out to a scout in the Pacific Rim, who preferred to remain anonymous, and was willing to talk about a few of the ballplayers who may be posted this winter. (Note: Most of Korea’s big names are more likely to come over next season, so we’ll take a look at a few of their upcoming players in a second newsletter to come later this month -- likely while I’m on paternity leave with my first child. You won’t be left without a newsletter the whole time I’m out!)

Here are four NPB stars to watch out for:

3B/OF Teruaki Sato

2026 stats (NPB): .306/.383/.609, 39 HR, 106 RBI, 8 SB, 68 BB, 164 K

Age (as of 2026 season): 27

Bats: L

Potential fits: Literally every team could use him, but for the sake of argument let’s say Mets, Phillies, Yankees, Dodgers, Mariners, Giants

ETA: 2027

The 2026 Central League MVP didn’t suffer any post-award slump this year. After starring for Japan at the World Baseball Classic (3-for-10, 3 2B, 2 RBI), Sato returned to the Hanshin Tigers and improved his rate stats across the board, finishing with just the ninth triple crown in NPB history.

His .306/.383/.609 slash line is all the more impressive when you realize he accomplished this in a depressed offensive environment: In the NPB’s Central League, teams averaged 3.4 runs per game, over a full run lower than MLB’s 4.48.

Our scout really liked Sato, calling him a “big left-handed bat,” who “can hit in big situations.” He sees him best as an outfielder instead of at the hot corner or a move over to first base, “but there’s some versatility over there.” With the success of Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto this past season, he has faith that “the bat will carry over." There will be plenty of interest from MLB teams should the Hanshin Tigers post him.

SP Kaima Taira
Age: 26
Throws: R
2026 stats (NPB): 12-5, 1.36 ERA, 146 IP, 141 K, 45 BB
Potential fits: Yankees, Cubs, Mariners, Angels, Tigers
ETA: 2027

Taira has been a terrifying force for NPB batters the last few years, but he took it to the next level this past season – his first in the rotation since 2023. His stuff is probably the best on the market this year aside from Tarik Skubal -- assuming he’s posted, of course. He throws a mid-90s fastball and has an entire coterie of secondary offerings, including a cutter, slider, change and -- of course -- a split-finger.

“He’s got a big fastball, a lot of secondaries, and he’s a [student] of analytics,” our scout noted.

Standing just 5-foot-8, many feel that he may be more of a reliever than a starter – including our scout. “I think he had more velocity and the fastball was better when he was a reliever,” he said.

There aren't many pitchers his size who have even had the chance to start: Marcus Stroman is the only pitcher to have topped 100 innings in a season at 5-foot-8 or shorter since Fred Norman in 1979*.* Still, with pitching at a premium and Yoshinobu Yamamato proving that you don’t need to be a giant to harness great stuff, there will probably be some teams willing to put him in the rotation. If that’s important to Taira, that could also be a deciding factor in which team he chooses to join.

SP Hiromi Itoh
2026 stats (NPB): 10-10, 3.18 ERA, 172.2 IP, 159 K, 34 BB
Age: 28
Throws: R
Potential fits: Giants, Blue Jays, Braves, Tigers
ETA: 2027

Itoh first made waves here in the States during the 2023 World Baseball Classic, when he pitched 2 1/3 shutout innings and looked dominant. He then entered this spring’s Classic as the reigning Sawamura Award winner -- the NPB’s version of the Cy Young.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go so well in '26. Itoh struggled in the WBC, giving up the go-ahead home run to Wilyer Abreu that sent Venezuela to the semifinals and eliminated Japan. He then took a step back in the NPB, posting a 3.18 ERA and giving up more than a hit per inning for the first time in his career.

While Itoh has an extra inch on Taima, he’s also 40 lbs lighter and could be ticketed for a relief role. “He could be an up and down starter,” our scout said, “but maybe in relief he might show some more velocity. In the previous WBC, he came out of the bullpen and he was 94-96 with some nasty stuff.” However, what Itoh lacks in size, he makes up for with a deep pitch mix consisting of “10+ unique grips and shapes” as noted by Yakyu Cosmopolitan.

Should he come to the Majors next year, there is one thing Itoh would like to share: “I would like the fans in the U.S. and everywhere else to know that I am not just pitching, but that I enjoy myself on the mound,” Itoh told me this spring. "I like to express my excitement and joy.”

SP Kona Takahashi
2026 stats (NPB): 9-6, 2.54 ERA, 138.1 IP, 114 K, 47 BB
Age: 29
Throws: R
Potential fits: Rangers, Padres, Athletics
ETA: 2027

After being posted last winter and choosing to remain in Japan, Takahashi is now a free agent and can sign with any MLB club should he decide to do so. However, the right-hander doesn’t feature the same stuff as the other pitchers on this list. He throws a fastball in the low-90s, and he scrapped his curveball this year in place of using a two-seamer and slider more often.

Given that profile, Takahashi is likely ticketed for a relief role -- though our scout thinks “he’ll definitely be a really good reliever in MLB,” with “secondaries that will play.”