Japan's Teruaki Sato hits a double during the eighth inning of a World Baseball Classic game between Japan and Australia, March 8, 2026 in Tokyo.
AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko
The Yankees can envision a big-time, lefty-hitting slugger who solves their third base problems.
The Mets can envision a belated, high-upside replacement for Pete Alonso at first base.
Some teams will see a middle-of-the-order bat in a free-agent market that has few. Others will see a high-risk player with obvious flaws, including a swing-and-miss issue that was on display even against lesser pitching and a lack of a definitive defensive home.
How teams project Teruaki Sato, who is 27 and coming off a Triple Crown and MVP season in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league, will be fascinating, given the wide range of outcomes and the dearth of other available options.
