The Miami Marlins appear to have won the Rintaro Sasaki sweepstakes.
With the 235th pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, Miami took the Japanese first baseman, who owns Japan’s all-time high school home run record and spent two seasons at Stanford. Sasaki’s bat took a clear step forward in his sophomore year, when he posted 16 home runs and a .952 OPS, and that production helped push him into the Marlins’ plans.
But Miami was not the only team with a claim on him. Sasaki’s draft rights also belonged to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Nippon Professional Baseball, leaving him with a straight-up choice: sign with the Marlins or head back to Japan and join the Hawks.
According to a report from SANSPO, the answer is Miami. Yakyu Cosmopolitan relayed the news on X, writing, "Rintaro Sasaki has reportedly elected to sign with the Miami Marlins,".
The financial gap is significant. Sasaki’s expected slot value is around $240k, while the Hawks can offer about $880k and likely provide a better development outlook as well. That means the decision could cost him hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Still, if Sasaki turns into a long-term major league hitter and eventually lands a big contract, that sacrifice may not matter much. The left-handed slugger already made a name for himself at Stanford after skipping the NPB Draft to come to the United States and play college baseball, and now the Marlins are betting that same power and presence can carry over to their organization.
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