Shohei Ohtani is the face of baseball. His Los Angeles Dodgers teammate, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, became the face of the most recent World Series by winning back-to-back games to capture the championship over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7.

The Houston Astros picked up long-haired Seibu Lions ace Tatsuya Imai in the offseason. The Chicago White Sox surprised many by being the choice for the NPB slugger Munetaka Murakami of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.

Every general manager, pundit, and fan alike wants to find the next Japanese superstar that can bring them the same excitement as Ohtani has over the past decade.

While Murakami has the power to be a game-changer in the MLB, it’ll be up to the 26-year-old to cut down on his strikeouts and improve his overall defense if he wants to make an impact.

But there is one player in Japan of the same age who might truly be the next big 6-10-year, $200-plus million signing in North America. On Friday, that player who might become a household name after the World Baseball Classic made his case why he should be a starter on the defending champion Samurai Japan squad.

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Hanshin Tigers’ kingpin Teruaki Sato rocketed a three-run home run into the stands during an exhibition game against the Chunichi Dragons.

Sato is coming off an MVP season in the NPB’s Central League, where he hit 40 home runs while accruing 7.7 batting WAR. In terms of defense, where he played some outfield but was primarily at third base, he was a plus defender, a gigantic difference between him and Murakami. On the base pads as well, Sato showed his worth, another area where Murakami couldn’t match.

The Tigers hero is heading into the prime of his career and, although not currently projected to start in the WBC, is making every case necessary to grab a spot. Fans online are already demanding that Sato deserves a spot over some possible MLB players, with his defense giving him an advantage over the likes of a Murakami or Seiya Suzuki.

Sato isn’t new to turning heads before an MLB season begins. Last season, when the champion Dodgers were in Japan for the opening series of the year against Suzuki’s Chicago Cubs, the Tigers played Los Angeles in an exhibition game.

Blake Snell, two-time Cy Young winner, was making his debut in a Dodgers jersey and feeling himself early on against the Tigers. Sato then crushed a three-run blast against Snell, leaving him speechless.

While numerous times, probably including the Dodgers, would be interested in Sato, the Tigers aren’t quick to post their players. Team ace Hiroto Saiki asked to move over to the MLB but had his request declined, as the Tigers want star players to establish themselves and achieve strong accomplishments before departing.

So even if Sato is interested in making the leap next offseason or the one after, depending on the MLB lockout, it’s not as simple as some other players.

But if Sato shows what he’s capable of in the WBC and then leads the Tigers to a Japan Series title in 2026, we could be seeing the emergence of the next true elite player coming overseas to play in the MLB.