Sports

Stanford’s 275-lb Japanese Freshman Puts Strength On Display With 106 MPH Moonshot

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Stanford baseball player Rintaro Sasaki swings at the plate.

© Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images


Record setting slugger Rintaro Sasaki hit his first NCAA home run on Saturday in a blowout win over Duke. The Stanford first baseman showed off the power that made him star in Japan.

Prior to joining the Cardinal baseball team, he set a national high school record for homers at Hanamaki-Higashi High. He spurned the opportunity to play pro ball in the Nippon Professional Baseball League in order to come to the States.

He likely would’ve been the first overall pick. Instead, he signed with Stanford and put himself on the fast track to the MLB. His debut season has gotten off to a great start. He picked up four RBIs in his first series. The success has continued as the Cardinal move toward conference play.

On Saturday, his team faced Duke. Sasaki entered the game hitting well over .300. Still, his first home run had evaded him over his first 16 contests.

It finally came in Game 17, twofold! The first bomb came in the fifth inning with his team already up 6-1. The solo homer travelled nearly 400 feet and left the bat at 106 MPH.

He wasn’t done. In his final at-bat, he stepped up to the dish with two men on base. He turned on another delivery and sent it to an almost identical spot in right field.

The three-run bomb came in walk-off fashion as Stanford run-ruled the Blue Devils in eight innings. Rintaro Sasaki finally got off the schneid with the elusive long ball.

Sasaki is less than halfway through his first NCAA season. Had he not opted to join the Cardinal, he’d be playing pro ball somewhere.

The thought process behind that decision involves getting to the MLB in just two years. If he’d entered the Nippon Professional Baseball League draft, he would’ve had to wait nine years to move over to the US.

Now, at 19 years old, he only has to wait until after his sophomore season to become eligible. He showed why he was such a highly-sought-after commodity in Japan on Saturday. He’ll continue showcasing his talents to MLB scouts over the next two years at Stanford.