Dodgers News: Meet Teruaki Sato, Japan’s Next MLB Superstar and Why He Could Fit LA
The Hanshin Tigers slugger is rapidly becoming one of Japan’s biggest MLB crossover candidates
Originally published at Dodgersbeat.com
LOS ANGELES, CA — Munetaka Murakami has been one of the breakout stars of the first quarter of the 2026 MLB season. Signed by the rebuilding Chicago White Sox for just two years and $34 million, Murakami already looks like one of the greatest bargain free-agent signings in recent memory.
Murakami spent his entire NPB career as an everyday third baseman, but with Chicago he has transitioned into a full-time first baseman. That positional flexibility likely played a major role in his move to the White Sox. For the Los Angeles Dodgers, both corner infield spots are already occupied by established veterans in Max Muncy and Freddie Freeman, making roster fit far more complicated.
However, another NPB slugger may soon test the international market: Teruaki Sato. And unlike Murakami, Sato presents an especially fascinating projection for MLB clubs.
From Nishinomiya to Hanshin Tigers Stardom
Born on March 13, 1999, in Nishinomiya, Japan, the 6-foot-1, 207-pound slugger rose through the local baseball scene in almost storybook fashion. He grew up in the same city the Hanshin Tigers call home — essentially the equivalent of growing up within walking distance of Dodger Stadium and eventually starring for the Dodgers.
Sato was not heavily scouted out of high school and instead enrolled at nearby Kinki University, where he developed into one of Japan’s premier amateur hitters. He was eventually selected by four NPB teams in the draft lottery, with the hometown Tigers winning the rights to sign him.
Athletic pedigree runs in the family. His father was a bronze medalist in the National Japanese Judo Student Championships, a former professional Brazilian jiu-jitsu MMA fighter, and later became a professor at nearby Kwansei Gakuin University.
Expectations were immediately enormous. Upon signing with Hanshin, Sato was assigned the prestigious No. 8 jersey previously worn by Tigers and Cubs legend Kosuke Fukudome.
Early Power Records and Rookie Growing Pains
His rookie season showcased both immense upside and growing pains. Sato hit 24 home runs to lead Hanshin while setting the NPB rookie home run record for left-handed hitters. He also tied Shigeo Nagashima’s long-standing rookie record from 1958 with a three-homer game.
At the same time, he endured significant swing-and-miss struggles, setting the NPB record for most consecutive plate appearances without a hit at 59.
Still, the Tigers believed in the bat immediately. Following his rookie year, Sato became the youngest cleanup hitter in franchise history and opened his career with three consecutive 20-home-run seasons — another NPB record for a left-handed bat. He also established a Hanshin franchise mark for most home runs through a player’s first three seasons.
Teruaki Sato’s MVP Breakout Put MLB on Notice
Now a four-time NPB All-Star, Sato fully broke out in 2025, becoming the Central League MVP with 40 home runs and 102 RBIs. He also impressed internationally during the 2026 World Baseball Classic, slashing .300/.417/.600 across five games, highlighted by a 109 mph RBI double off Ranger Suárez in the quarterfinals.
According to JapanBall and Yakyu Cosmopolitan writer Yuri Karasawa:
“Across parts of six professional seasons, the Nishinomiya native has averaged 33 doubles and 27 home runs per season while posting an .839 OPS and 147 wRC+. That raw power output is even more impressive considering the context that Sato has spent most of his career in NPB’s dead-ball era while playing his home games at the pitcher-friendly confines of historic Koshien Stadium.”
Former NPB superstar and longtime manager Alex Ramirez summarized Sato’s talent bluntly:
“He’s a Major League-caliber player. A true slugger.”
Karasawa also highlighted Sato’s dominant 2026 start:
“As of May 11, he is slashing .377/.461/.762 with 14 doubles, three triples, 10 homers, and 30 RBI through 36 games, leading the CL in all Triple Crown categories.”
The Advanced Metrics Behind Sato’s MLB Projection
His underlying metrics are equally eye-opening. According to Trackman data available through NPB+, Sato ranks near the top of the league in nearly every major power indicator, including:
- 62% hard-hit rate
- 21% barrel rate
- 73.3 mph average bat speed
- 95.8 mph average exit velocity
- 116.3 mph max exit velocity
His offensive profile appears especially tailored for MLB success. Sato combines elite raw power with a swing built for loft, carrying a 17-degree average launch angle and a 58% fly-ball rate. Yet unlike many pure pull-side sluggers, he consistently drives the ball to all fields, posting an NPB-best .376 isolated power mark despite ranking only in the 80th percentile in pull-air rate.
Would Teruaki Sato Fit the Dodgers?
Defensively, Sato remains a more complicated evaluation. While he has experience in the outfield, third base is still considered his primary position, though many evaluators question whether he profiles as an above-average defender there long term. Athletically, a reasonable MLB comparison may be Seiya Suzuki, though Sato arguably possesses even greater raw power.
For the Dodgers specifically, finding a clean roster fit may be difficult given their current corner infield situation. But regardless of destination, Sato increasingly looks like the next NPB position player capable of becoming an everyday middle-of-the-order MLB bat.
If posted, he would likely enter the league carrying expectations similar to Murakami and Suzuki before him — not simply as an intriguing international addition, but as a potential franchise cornerstone.