Hanshin to let Triple Crown winner Teruaki Sato move to MLB via posting
In short
Hanshin said on 19 October that it will allow infielder Teruaki Sato (佐藤輝明), 27, to move to Major League Baseball through the posting system this offseason. Sato won this season's Triple Crown, batting .306 with 39 home runs and 106 RBIs. Club official Satoshi Shimamura (嶌村聡) called it a heavy and difficult decision.
Read the full story 2 min read
Hanshin announced on 19 October that it will allow infielder Teruaki Sato (佐藤輝明), 27, to move to Major League Baseball through the posting system this offseason. Sato won this season's Triple Crown. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]
Club headquarters head Satoshi Shimamura (嶌村聡) spoke at a press conference in Nishinomiya, Hyogo. According to Yomiuri, he said it was a very heavy and difficult decision for the club but that the club wanted to back Sato's challenge. Sankei quoted him as saying the club would support the challenge from next season, and Asahi quoted him as saying the club had reached a comprehensive decision. He pointed to Sato's results, including three league titles in six years. TBS quoted him as saying opinions on the decision would be divided. Kyodo News reported that he also cited the rising reputation of Japanese fielders after Munetaka Murakami of the White Sox and Kazuma Okamoto of the Blue Jays moved to MLB this season, and that Sato was told of the decision on 18 October. [ 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 9 , 13 ]
Sato played all 143 games this season and hit .306 with 39 home runs and 106 RBIs. Asahi and TBS described him as the ninth Triple Crown winner in Japanese pro baseball history and the first for Hanshin in 40 years. Yomiuri said he also helped Hanshin win its first consecutive league titles. In a comment through the club, Sato said he was grateful to the club for respecting his wishes and thanked the fans. [ 3 , 6 , 9 , 12 , 16 ]
Sato had asked the club to let him try MLB since the 2024 offseason, according to Yomiuri and Sankei. Asahi reported that talks over the timing of a posting move dragged on after the 2025 season and ended on 30 January with a deal worth 500 million yen in total. Sankei said posting applications to MLB open on 1 November. Yomiuri said he would be the first Hanshin fielder to move to MLB through posting, while TBS said he would be the fourth Hanshin player to do so, after Kei Igawa, Shintaro Fujinami and Koyo Aoyagi. [ 3 , 6 , 7 , 9 ]
TBS reported that ESPN's online feature on this offseason's free-agent market listed Sato as the top hitter, and that US media say at least 10 clubs are already interested. Kyodo News said his speed and ability to play the outfield could lead to competition among several MLB clubs. [ 9 , 12 , 13 ]
Why it matters
Sato would be the first Hanshin fielder to move to MLB through posting, according to Yomiuri. TBS cited US media reports that at least 10 MLB clubs are interested in him.
Key facts
- Hanshin announced on 19 October that it will allow Teruaki Sato, 27, to move to MLB through the posting system this offseason. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]
- Sato played all 143 games this season, with a .306 average, 39 home runs and 106 RBIs, and won the Triple Crown. [ 3 , 9 , 16 ]
- He is the ninth Triple Crown winner in Japanese pro baseball history and the first for Hanshin in 40 years. [ 3 , 9 ]
- Club headquarters head Satoshi Shimamura said the decision was very heavy and difficult for the club. [ 6 , 7 , 9 ]
- Posting applications to MLB open on 1 November. [ 7 ]
- Shimamura told Sato of the decision on 18 October, according to Kyodo News. [ 13 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Hanshin announced it will allow Sato to move to MLB through the posting system this offseason. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]
- Sato, 27, won this season's Triple Crown, the ninth in Japanese pro baseball history. [ 3 , 6 , 12 , 13 , 16 ]
- Shimamura described the decision as very heavy and difficult for the club. [ 6 , 7 , 9 ]
- Sato thanked the club for respecting his wishes in a comment issued through the club. [ 3 , 6 , 9 , 12 , 13 , 16 ]
- Sato had asked the club to let him try MLB since the 2024 offseason. [ 3 , 6 , 7 ]
Still unclear
- How many home runs Sato hit as a rookie. Asahi and Nippon TV say he hit 24 home runs in his first year, while TBS says 21.
- Whether Sato will travel to the United States in November. Only a Yahoo! News Japan headline says he will go in November; no article text was available.
- Which MLB club Sato will join and on what terms. The documents say only that posting applications open on 1 November and that several clubs may compete for him.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- On 18 October, a Yahoo! News Japan headline says Hanshin is set to allow Sato's move to MLB. [ 1 ]
- On 19 October, NHK, Asahi, Nikkei and Yomiuri report that Hanshin has announced it will allow Sato to move to MLB through posting. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- TBS reports Shimamura's remarks at the press conference and US media interest in Sato. [ 9 ]
- Kyodo News, via Tokyo Shimbun, reports that Shimamura told Sato of the decision on 18 October. [ 13 ]