The Tigers have quietly pushed their way into the international market, and now they’ve surfaced in an even more unusual chase: a race for Japanese pitching prospect Shoki Oda.
Detroit has already made a splash on that front. Last year’s $3,197,500 deal with Cris Rodriguez set a franchise record for international free agent spending, and there are rumors the club is preparing to top that with a $3.8 million agreement for infielder Luis Rodriguez in 2029.
But Japan is the bigger story here, and it’s a market the Tigers haven’t fully cracked yet. The issue isn’t just established professionals heading to MLB. The real shift is happening earlier, with top prospects choosing to leave before their pro careers even start.
Shohei Ohtani helped establish that path when he came over after his age-22 season, with just five years of NPB service time. Had he waited until 25, he could have landed a deal outside international bonus pool rules. Roki Sasaki followed in 2025.
Now the trend is reaching the high school level. High school slugger Rintaro Sasaki chose Stanford over NPB and was an eighth-round pick for the Marlins this year. Oda, another high school pitcher, is also looking to make the jump and has met with a number of teams over the past week, including the Tigers.
Oda is drawing interest from across the league. The Dodgers are viewed as the favorites to land him, and the Phillies, Mets, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Astros, and Yankees are also in the mix. Oda follows just one MLB team on Instagram, and it’s the Dodgers.
Still, Detroit’s involvement matters. Because no team can simply outspend the rest of the field, these pursuits open the door for clubs willing to get in early and make a pitch. That’s the lane the Tigers are trying to work.
Oda is 18 and already turned heads by hitting a record 97.6 MPH on his fastball during Japan’s Summer Koshien tournament this year. He also brings a full mix of pitches: slider, curveball, changeup, splitter and cutter.
For whichever team lands him, the upside is obvious. The club that gets Oda at the start of the process has a chance to shape him in a way the Dodgers couldn’t with Sasaki, who has been followed by talk of being resistant to help since he came over. It would also send a clear message to other Japanese prospects considering skipping NPB altogether.
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