MIAMI -- There was plenty of chatter when Rintaro Sasaki, Japan’s all-time high school home run leader, arrived stateside to attend Stanford.
Count Marlins area scout Scott Fairbanks among those in the baseball community eager to see how the slugger would make the transition.
After countless games, fall practices, scrimmages and character interviews, the Marlins had seen enough to select Sasaki and his prodigious power bat in the eighth round (235th overall) of the 2026 MLB Draft on Sunday afternoon.
“Huge,” Fairbanks said. “It's hard to find. That's a big reason why I like him. His name came up on the board. You look around, it's just not out there, so it's unbelievably valuable. So, when you can grab something like that, you just do it.”
In his first season with the Cardinal in 2025, Sasaki hit a modest seven homers and posted a .790 OPS. Those numbers improved with more comfortability in ‘26, when he crushed 16 homers and recorded a .952 OPS with nearly as many walks (45) as strikeouts (50).
Sasaki continued to turn heads with an impressive batting practice showcase that featured a 458-foot homer and some of the highest exit velocities (max 115.4 mph) at June’s Draft Combine.
Just as much as any metric or tool, what stood out to Fairbanks was how Sasaki interacted with teammates. The staff raved about his coachability.
“Just plate discipline,” Fairbanks said. “His at-bats got better. He started getting to that big, huge power that we all know he has. I think there's still room for even more. He's become more of a complete hitter. I'd say that was the biggest difference from first year to a second year.”
As a kid, Sasaki played for superstar Shohei Ohtani’s father, Toru, during his “Little Senior” days, the next step up from traditional Little League before players enter the competitive high school ranks. Ohtani, meanwhile, played for Sasaki’s father, Hiroshi, at Hanamaki Higashi High School in Iwate, Japan.
Now 21 years old, Sasaki faces a big decision: Both the Yokohama DeNA BayStars and Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks selected him with their first-round pick last October, before Fukuoka won exclusive negotiating rights should Sasaki choose to return to Japan and play in Nippon Professional Baseball. He could go down that route, sign with the Marlins or return to Stanford.
His goal has always been to find a way to the Major Leagues. As the projected No. 1 selection in the 2024 NPB Draft, Sasaki instead went to Stanford, where he had a more direct path to a big league organization than waiting nine years to become an international free agent or having a team in Japan post him for MLB clubs.
More on the Marlins' 2026 Draft:
Leading up to the Draft, Sasaki said: “I feel like I found a great way for Japanese guys from high school, how we’re going to step up to a high level. People coming to U.S. college, going to pro baseball -- I think it’s great.”
The Marlins will pitch Sasaki on beginning his professional career now and getting one step closer to the big leagues. Sasaki also plays first base, which is a position lacking depth in the Marlins’ system.
“It's ultimately, like you said, a difficult decision,” said Frankie Piliere, vice president of amateur forecasting and player evaluation initiatives. “Rintaro has a lot of good options, and I think he'll choose the one that's best for him. He's put himself in a position where he can make those great choices. Very lucky in that way. Not many of those players have those types of outstanding options, but we'll see. He's put himself in a great spot, and excited to see what he decides.”