'High School 140 Home Runs → U.S. Stanford': Ohtani's Direct High School Junior, Heading to Japan's NPB Instead of MLB, "Scheduled to Meet SoftBank at End of June"

*This content was translated by AI.

Rintaro Sasaki (21, Stanford University), well known as a direct high school junior of Shohei Ohtani (32, Los Angeles Dodgers), has opened the possibility of joining Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).

Sasaki Management Nice Guy Partners announced on the 22nd via official SNS, "Sasaki has concluded his official collegiate baseball activities for this season following the second round of the NCAA Baseball Championship on the 20th. Sasaki is considering a temporary return to Japan at the end of June and is scheduled to meet with the SoftBank Hawks organization."

Sasaki gained fame as a promising left-handed power hitter who hit unofficial 140 home runs during his time at Hanamaki Higashi High School. In particular, his alma mater, Hanamaki Higashi High School, is also Ohtani's former school and the place where his father, Hiroshi Sasaki, served as head coach, highlighting the connection with Ohtani.

His decision to aim for Major League Baseball (MLB) not through a challenge in NPB after high school graduation but by attending Stanford University in the U.S. also became a topic of discussion. At Stanford, Sasaki recorded solid statistics over two years: a .265 batting average (407 at-bats, 108 hits), 23 home runs, 88 RBIs, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.872 across 106 games.

Thanks to this, there is now a possibility he could be selected in the upcoming MLB Draft in July. However, the situation changed after he participated in the NPB Draft last October, receiving interest from both Yokohama DeNA BayStars and SoftBank. After a lottery, SoftBank acquired negotiation rights and expressed its intention to talk with Sasaki.

Sasaki, who had previously delayed his official statement, has now mentioned the possibility of returning to Japan, raising the likelihood of a move. Sasaki's side stated, "Sasaki still has classes and end-of-term exams as a student. Completing these commitments must be the top priority," and requested that media refrain from official interviews for now.

They further added, "We believe Sasaki's challenge carries social significance, not just as a career path for a baseball player, but as it shows the possibilities and choices of a career to Japanese student athletes and young people who look toward a broader world in the future. We would be deeply grateful if society could continue to receive the 21st-year-old student athlete's challenge and growth in a positive manner," bowing their heads.

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*This content was translated by AI.