Rintaro Sasaki has chosen to sign with the Miami Marlins, viewing it as the quickest route to the major leagues. The Japanese slugger announced his decision to forgo a professional career in Japan, where he was drafted by the Fukuoka Soft Bank Hawks, and to sign with the Marlins for $210,200. Sasaki stated that his "dream is always going to be how I'm going to make it to the big leagues as soon as possible," making Miami's offer a "great opportunity."

Sasaki previously played college baseball at Stanford for two seasons. His decision to attend an American college instead of pursuing Japan's professional pipeline was a surprising move aimed at accelerating his path to MLB. He is Japan's all-time high school home run leader with 140 and played under Toru Ohtani, father of superstar Shohei Ohtani.

At Stanford, the 21-year-old first baseman hit .262 with 16 homers and 47 RBI as a sophomore. Sasaki expressed a strong desire to challenge himself in the United States, which ultimately influenced his decision. He believes his time at Stanford, including learning English, will help him adapt to his new team and city.