While some notable bats have attempted this, including Stanford’s Rintaro Sasaki, Soto is the first noteworthy arm to make the jump. As a result of his timeline, Sato will be eligible for the 2027 MLB Draft, despite being 21 years of age in 2026.
For Penn State, this is a massive move that will have long-lasting repercussions. The last time the program reached the postseason was in 2000, while their most recent first-round selection was Nate Bump in 1998.
They have not had a top-three round selection in that timespan, either, though things have trended up since Gambino came to Happy Valley. In 2025, the program had five draftees, which ties the highest mark in program history. 2007 was the only other year in program history to feature five draftees.
With that said, Sato’s upside is tantalizing, and he will enter the United States with fanfare and high expectations. During a sweep of the USA Collegiate National Team in July, Sato served as the closer, striking out six batters and relinquishing just three hits, one run, and one walk to a talented lineup that included Roch Cholowsky, AJ Gracia, Drew Burress, and more.
Sato’s heater was the most successful offering during the series, generating 11 whiffs and sitting in the mid-90s, reaching back for 99 mph. His command and shapes can get inconsistent, though evaluators have mentioned that Sato can generate considerable ride out of his high slot, generating whiffs in the upper half of the strike zone.
His best secondary is a hard splitter that tunnels exceptionally well with the fastball, diving out of his hand in the low-90s. It’s an offering that features solid depth and will generate empty swings when located away from lefties consistently. There’s a softer, low-80s slider with two-plane tilt, though it lags behind the fastball/splitter duo.
Sato stacks his backside rather well and has a delivery reminiscent of previous Japanese hurlers, which includes a high leg kick that draws inward before kick-stepping his way down the bump.
The biggest challenge that Sato will face in his first-round aspirations will be his size and adapting to collegiate hitting.