NEW YORK - Stanford University slugger Rintaro Sasaki of Japan intends to join the Miami Marlins after being picked in the eighth round of Major League Baseball's amateur draft over the weekend, a source familiar with his thinking said Wednesday.

The 21-year-old infielder was also the top pick of the Fukuoka-based SoftBank Hawks in the 2025 Nippon Professional Baseball draft. All eyes have been on his decision -- whether to join the MLB franchise, start his pro career in Japan, or remain at Stanford for another year of college ball.