Stanford's Sasaki Faces a Three-Way Crossroads Ahead of the 2026 MLB Draft

The MLB draft is approaching and once again, the Stanford Cardinal have multiple eligible prospects. Headlined by Japanese phenom Rintaro Sasaki, the Cardinal's potential draft class is a strong one and will surely turn heads on draft weekend despite another down year on the field by the Cardinal.

But for Sasaki, the draft process is not a simple one.

Sasaki is a trailblazer, opting to play college ball in the United States, and was nonetheless drafted by the NPB's Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in the first round of the 2025 NPB draft, giving them first dibs at signing him to a contract once he officially becomes eligible to turn pro.

If he ends up coming to terms with them once the college season ends, he will be able to return home to Japan and look to keep establishing himself as a star in the country. 

Sasaki could also go the route of entering the MLB draft and seeing where he ends up being selected. If he likes his landing spot, he could come to terms with an MLB organization and begin his professional career in the US, which is an uncommon route for Japanese players.

Typically, they sign as free agents and get to pick their own landing spot.

If he goes that route, Sasaki will be able to develop his skills in the minor leagues and become acclimated to American professional baseball. Struggling at times to adjust to Division I pitching despite possessing extreme power during his freshman year in 2025, Sasaki took a step forward in 2026.

His most noticeable gain was in his OPS, which jumped from .790 in his first year to .952 as a sophomore. He hit .262 with a .403 OBP and added 16 home runs after hitting just seven in 2025. 

The third option for Sasaki is the most straightforward one. He could return to The Farm for another season.

Despite improving in his second season, he still has areas where he can grow his game. A return to Stanford for another season of college baseball would give Sasaki the opportunity to work on those things and potentially become an even more highly-touted prospect ahead of the 2027 draft.

The other big draft prospect for Stanford is someone that hasn't even suited up for the program yet — De La Salle's Tyler Spangler. Coming into the season he was seen as a top-15 pick, but injuries have seen him fall to the No. 49 ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline. Could that be the difference between seeing him on The Farm and in the minors?

With the Cardinal set to bring in a strong freshman class, the program could be looking at a successful season, especially if Sasaki returns to lead their offense. In order for Stanford baseball to have success in 2027, it's going to have to score runs in bunches. Sasaki would be the centerpiece of that plan.