*This content was translated by AI.
Sato Teruaki (27, Hanshin Tigers), a "monster hitter" who was also selected as a member of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) Japanese national team in March after winning two titles in the Japanese professional baseball (NPB) with 40 home runs and 102 RBIs in the 2025 season, is poised to eventually take an ultra-hard response. He even expressed his intention to join the national team after rejecting his team's spring camp and making his body at his own expense.
Japanese media 'Friday Digital' said on the 21st, "Satto is unusually reviewing its own camp. The confrontation with the club is intensifying due to the Major League challenge. Both sides are not making any concessions," he said.
Sato was the best hitter in the NPB Central League in the 2025 season. Sato, who played in 139 regular league games, was a batter who dominated the league with a batting average of 0.277 (149 hits in 357 at-bats) with 40 home runs and 102 RBIs (on-base plus slugging) of 0.924. Since his debut in the first division in the 2021 season, he has hit the most home runs and won the Central League MVP (best player). In March last year, he hit a three-run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Tokyo Dome. Based on these performances, he also joined the Japanese national team at the WBC in March.
However, despite this situation, Sato has yet to sign a salary contract for the 2026 season. This is because they are at odds with the club due to the issue of allowing major league challenges through the posting system. Sato is demanding a definite answer, saying, "We will allow you to challenge the Major League after the 2026 season." However, Hanshin said, "The initiative lies with the club."
This situation in Sato is also a big topic in Japan. Even Hanshin club president Kazuo Iwai said, "I am well aware of the fans' concerns. However, he even issued a statement saying that he would refrain from commenting at this time. A Hanshin official said, "To put it bluntly, Sato only showed one major league-class performance in the 2025 season. The emotional goal is deepening, with some even saying, "It is the club's true intention that we do not want to allow posting only with a brilliant record in a season."
Conflict is rising to the surface. According to a Friday digital report, Sato was scheduled to conduct autonomous training at the club's facility in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, on the 24th, but is in limbo. It has become unclear whether Sato, who is currently in individual training in Okinawa, will even join the team training.
Sato's side is taking a strong stance, saying, "If the negotiations are not concluded, we will participate in the spring camp at our own expense without the support of the club." The team is also deeply concerned. In fact, if Sato's request is easily accepted, other young key players who dream of entering the major leagues, such as pitcher Hiroto Saiki (28), will also have no justification to control them.
The current situation surrounding Sato is also of keen interest in Japan. Attention is also focusing on whether Sato, who is scheduled to join the WBC national team, will be able to close this conflict and enter the 2026 season.
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*This content was translated by AI.
