Rintaro Sasaki is just over half through his first summer playing in the MLB Draft League. Although the Japanese high school home run record holder has not met the lofty expectations set on him by the public in his first season playing baseball in the United States, he is still an extremely intriguing MLB prospect.
Sasaki hit 140 home runs during his tenure at Hanamaki-Higashi High School, the same high school that Shohei Ohtani attended. However, this power has yet to particularly carry over in the MLB Draft League, hitting just four home runs in his 86 at-bats. Sasaki is not getting hits at a consistent pace, either. Sasaki has a batting average of .221. However, on a positive note, the Japanese slugger has a base percentage of .389 and has drawn 23 walks. Sasaki has not found a consistent spot on the field for the Trenton Thunder, starting twelve games at first base, ten as a designated hitter, and three as a third baseman.
The MLB Draft League is preparing Sasaki for the next step of his baseball career, joining the Stanford baseball team in the fall. Before deciding to play collegiate baseball, Sasaki was considered the unanimous number-one overall pick in the Nippon Professional Baseball Draft. It will be interesting to see if Sasaki starts to find more success in the second half of the MLB Draft League season and if Sasaki finds a consistent position in the field.
Photo Credit: Rintaro Sasaki #3 of the Trenton Thunder at bat during the game against the West Virginia Black Bears on July 7, 2024 at Trenton Thunder Ballpark in Trenton, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
