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Genei Sato Heading to U.S., Plans to Enter 2027 MLB Draft
Sendai University right-hander Genei Sato is transferring to a school in the United States in February to become MLB draft-eligible in 2027, according to Yakyu Cosmopolitan. The Japanese pitching prospect has impressed with a fastball that tops out at 99 mph. The soon-to-be 21-year-old will be taking an atypical path to the big leagues, as most Japanese players end up coming through the posting system, which was introduced in the late 1990s. Rintaro Sasaki, who is the first Japanese high-schooler to choose the NCAA over Nippon Professional Baseball, is still only a sophomore at Stanford. In addition to his high-90s fastball, the 6-foot, 180-pound Sato features a low-90s splitter and a slider. "He's real," top draft prospect Roch Cholowsky told Baseball America. "[He] was like 97-99, throwing a splitter at like 92. A lot of ride on the fastball. Throws his splitter hard but has depth on it, too."
Source: MLB.com - Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru
Source: MLB.com - Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru
