Top high school prospect Rintaro Sasaki announced he would not file paperwork to be eligible for the 2023 NPB Draft and instead choose to study abroad in the USA.
As controversial as this sounds, Sasaki's goal is to reach MLB and this is for the better of getting there.
Position players have often struggled or have had fewer success in MLB compared to pitchers who come across the Pacific Ocean.
For every Ichiro Suzuki, there are more forgettable players like Tsuyoshi Nishioka or Kensuke Tanaka.
There has always been questions if a position player could succeed if they saw the stateside culture and were integrated into it at a younger age.
Sasaki's father was also his head coach in high school at Hanamaki Higashi. This is the same leader and high school who was in charge of Shohei Ohtani from 2010-2012.
It's likely he is listening to the advice of his father to truly pursue his goal to be a Major League player.
In 2012, Ohtani was linked to going stateside, but still filed the paperwork for the draft with the discouragement to not take him. The Fighters took the risk and in a recruiting presentation, convinced him to sign.
For Sasaki, it will be an adventure, but adapting to a stateside culture can also be beneficial, especially if he has an education from a school like Vanderbilt. Even learning English and being close to fluent in it will go a long way for his career.
The biggest elephant in the room for position players adjusting to MLB is the frequent high velocity, specifically at least 156 km/H (95 mph) or higher fastballs and several power pitchers continue to throw them at will.
What has held many back from taking this path is the shame and fear that comes with this from Japanese teams. Shakaijin like Junichi Tazawa made it across, but at the price of not being wanted when coming back. Even though the former "Tazawa rule" is gone of sitting out years, teams can still refuse to bring a player in at their discretion.
Tazawa was in the independent BC League and went undrafted as someone who was in his mid-30s despite being eligible.
For Sasaki, it will be good for him to see a high level of competition through college and even the minors. Despite seeing great players in Japan, he wouldn't see major league fastballs as much, which hurt a player like Yoshitomo Tsutsugo or Shogo Akiyama when they came over.
It's a bold move for a teenager who is compared to Prince Fielder, but it is necessary to for Sasaki to put his money where his mouth is and chase his dream as a position player.
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