Rintaro Sasaki: College Baseball’s New Phenom?

#1 ranked Japanese high school player skips NPB Draft to play college baseball in the U.S.

It’s no secret that college baseball continues to grow in talent across all levels. From junior college and NAIA to Division 1 and 2, the skill level seems to grow with each passing year. As we get ready for the 2024 season, there’s one name on every college coach’s mind. Rintaro Sasaki.

Rintaro Sasaki at a Hanamaki-Higashi High School baseball game / Graveyard Baseball

At 6 feet tall and weighing 250 lbs., not many people would flinch at his size. Besides there are many like Sasaki at the college level. The thing is…Rintaro is 17 years old…in high school…and continues to grow. This frame and build alone piques the interest of all college and professional coaches.

Sasaki is graduating from Hanamaki-Higashi High School (the same school MLB player Shohei Ohtani graduated from) this year and is the #1 ranked high school baseball player in Japan. The high school phenom hit 140 home runs at the high school level, smashing Kitaro Kiyomiya’s record of 111 home runs set in 2017. Sasaki was projected to go to the NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball) as the #1 overall pick but changed his career path recently, deciding to play college baseball in America, rather than going to the NPB.

Rintaro Sasaki is the #1 high school prospect in Japan & may come to America for D1 NCAA baseball instead of playing in Japan. NIL deals could reach the millions for an International player of his caliber. pic.twitter.com/HhdEaI4IiR

— Prospect Dugout (@prospectdugout) September 26, 2023

As far as Sasaki’s college of choice is concerned, it’s no surprise that he is rumored to be going to Vanderbilt to begin his college years. Vanderbilt has been a top contender in the college baseball scene since 2004 missing only one NCAA tournament, winning two national championships in that time frame as well.

Adding Sasaki to their roster would not only make them a favorite in the SEC but could potentially make them an instant candidate for the College World Series. While Sasaki has not committed to Vanderbilt yet, he will be an instant difference-maker wherever he ends up. 

Many believe that Sasaki is coming to play college baseball due to the new NIL rules as well and that his name image and likeness could be worth millions. From a financial point of view, it makes sense to come to America to play baseball. Not only does the MLB have a higher average salary, but the NPB tends to underpay athletes during the first few years of their contract no matter how skilled they are. 

Even if Sasaki commits to Vanderbilt, there's still a chance that Frogball fans could witness the Japanese phenom. While they don't square off in 2024, TCU and Vanderbilt play each other often in non-conference games toward the beginning of each season. 

TCU Baseball: Full 2024 Schedule Released

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