Name, Image and Likeness could change college baseball forever, starting with Rintaro Sasaki.
Sasaki, the top high school prospect in Japan, is expected to be the next great Japanese-born player in Major League Baseball. His path to the Bigs is where things might get interesting.
“Might” is the key word.
At 6-foot-0, 250 pounds, all Sasaki does is mash. The 17-year-old hit 138 home runs during his high school career and is slashing a ridiculous .413 / .514 / .808 / 1.322 OPS in official games.
If he gets his bat on the ball, it is gone forever.
Interestingly enough, Sasaki plays for Hanamaki Higashi High School, which is also Shohei Ohtani and Yusei Kikuchi’s alma mater. He hopes to be the next superstar to make millions in the MLB.
Rintaro Sasaki has a decision to make!
Typically, Japanese high school baseball stars forgo the college game to play professionally in the Nippon Professional Baseball league. This is where NIL comes into play.
Although it seems like a long shot, there is reportedly “growing speculation” that Sasaki could choose to play college baseball in the United States. He might decide that a move to the U.S. could set him up best from a developmental standpoint. It would also allow him to acclimate to American culture before stepping into the spotlight that comes with international superstardom in the MLB.
Furthermore, college athletes can get paid while in school. Where a NPB contract might prove more valuable than an American education, NIL provides some financial incentive.
However, current NIL rules could make it complicated for Sasaki to be compensated on American soil. It would require a lot of strategy to figure out the best way to work within the systems in place.
Should Sasaki continue to move forward with the college baseball recruiting process, Vanderbilt is said to be atop the list. The Commodores are a powerhouse and, according to the Yakyu Cosompolitan, the Japanese slugger is “eyeing” the program.
There is still a long way to go in this process. Sasaki will likely choose to stay home and go pro. Moving to Nashville to play for the Vandy Boys would not be an easy process.
That said — for Sasaki to even consider playing college baseball is a monumental moment for the sport. It is also a testament to Commodores head coach Tim Corbin.
Should Sasaki send it to the States, it would be pretty earth-shattering!