Stanford first baseman Rintaro Sasaki won WBN’s International College Player of the Week. Sasaki, 20, was born in Japan and is a freshman at Stanford. He enrolled in March 2024 but didn’t play any games at Stanford last season.
In his first seventeen games with Stanford, he had 17 RBIs, a .333 batting average, and an OPS of .889 in 69 at-bats. He has gotten off to a good start despite not hitting a home run; the 6-foot 275-pound left-handed hitter has had several big games.
Sasaki dominated Duke on March 15, going three-for-five with two home runs and four RBI. His second home run against Duke was a three-run shot against right-handed pitcher Bryce Brannon. It clinched the 11-1 mercy rule victory in six innings.
In addition, Sasaki’s first home run of his collegiate career was a solo home run against Duke’s left-handed pitcher, Max Stammel. He pulled over the right field fence at Stanford’s home stadium, Klein Field at Sunken Diamond.
Sasaki also tied his season-high four RBI in his debut against Cal State Fullerton on February 15.
He had six hits in 14 at-bats in his first three games, a .428 batting average with two doubles and eight RBI. Last season, Sasaki kept himself fresh by playing in the MLB Draft League with the Trenton Thunder and the Appalachian League with the Greeneville Flyboys. His numbers with the Trenton Thunder were four home runs, 17 RBI, and an OPS of .783.
Last season in Trenton Thunder, his manager Adonis Smith talked to World Baseball Network about Sasaki after a game on July 7, 2024
He can flat-out play: he understands his swing and how to play the game of baseball,” Smith told World Baseball Network. “What surprised me was how much power he had at a young age.”
In limited action with the Greeneville Flyboys, he had three home runs, eight RBI, and an OPS of 1.508 in 23 at-bats.
Sasaki broke the Japanese record for home runs in high school with 140. He attended Hanamaki-Higashi High School, the same as MLB two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani.
Sasaki decided to forgo being the top pick in the 2024 Nippon Professional Baseball Draft and play at Stanford instead. As a result, Sasaki can now be eligible for the MLB draft much quicker in 2027.
He has helped Stanford get off to a hot 14-3 start, which earned them the No.18 spot on the Top 25 Rankings on D1Baseball.com.
AP Photo/Jeff Chiu
