Hanshin's Sato Teruaki thanks club and fans after approval of his MLB posting move
In short
Hanshin Tigers player Sato Teruaki, 27, spoke to reporters on 21 October after the club allowed him to move to Major League Baseball through the posting system. He thanked the club and its fans and said the cheers at Koshien are the best in the world.
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Sato Teruaki, 27, of the Hanshin Tigers spoke to reporters on 21 October in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, after the club allowed him to move to Major League Baseball through the posting system. He said he wanted first to thank the club and the people involved who allowed the posting, and that they had looked after him carefully since he joined. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 7 ]
Sato said the cheers at Koshien are truly the best in the world. Asked what stood out most from his time at Hanshin, he named the 2023 league title, which Mainichi described as the club's first Central League title in 18 years. He said the roar was huge and hard to forget. [ 2 , 4 , 7 ]
He also thanked the fans. According to Mainichi, Nippon TV and Yahoo! News Japan, he said they cheered him in good times and bad, that it gave him strength each time he stood on the field, and that it was no exaggeration to say the fans raised him over six years. He also said he was blessed with good seniors and juniors. [ 2 , 4 , 7 , 8 ]
Nippon TV and Yahoo! News Japan said he joined Hanshin as a first-round pick in the 2020 draft. Nippon TV said he won the home run and RBI titles in 2025 with 40 home runs and 102 RBIs, and Mainichi said he won those two titles last season. This season he won the batting title and the triple crown, which Nippon TV and Yahoo! News Japan said came with a .306 average, and Yahoo! News Japan added 39 home runs and 106 RBIs. Mainichi and Yahoo! News Japan said he contributed to the club's first back-to-back league titles. [ 2 , 7 , 8 ]
Mainichi and Yahoo! News Japan said the club announced on 19 October that it would allow the posting move. Yahoo! News Japan said he stated his intention to try for the major leagues in December 2024, and that posting applications begin on 1 November. It also said many major league clubs have shown interest and a bidding contest is possible. [ 2 , 8 ]
Why it matters
The documents report that the club has approved Sato's bid to play in the US major leagues. Yahoo! News Japan reported that posting applications open on 1 November, but the documents do not say where he will play.
Key facts
- Sato Teruaki, 27, of the Hanshin Tigers spoke to reporters at a representative press session on 21 October in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 8 ]
- The club announced on 19 October that it would allow a move to Major League Baseball through the posting system. [ 2 , 8 ]
- Sato said: "I think the cheers at Koshien are truly the best in the world." [ 4 , 6 , 7 ]
- He named the 2023 league title as the moment that stood out most from his six years at Hanshin. [ 2 , 4 , 7 , 9 ]
- This season he won the Central League triple crown, which helped Hanshin to a second straight league title. [ 2 , 4 , 7 , 8 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Hanshin allowed Sato to move to Major League Baseball through the posting system. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]
- Sato thanked the club, its officials and the fans, and said the cheers at Koshien are the best in the world. [ 2 , 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]
- Sato won the triple crown this season. [ 2 , 4 , 7 , 8 ]
- Sato named the 2023 league title as an unforgettable moment, because of the cheering. [ 2 , 4 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]
Still unclear
- Where the press session was held. Yahoo! News Japan said it was at a club facility in Nishinomiya, Livedoor News said Koshien Stadium, and other outlets said only Nishinomiya.
- Which major league clubs are interested in Sato. Only Yahoo! News Japan said many clubs have shown interest and a bidding contest is possible. No club is named.
- When posting applications begin. Only Yahoo! News Japan gave 1 November.