Baseball: NPB teams able to draft Sasaki of Stanford University this fall

Nippon Professional Baseball teams can draft highly touted Japanese slugger Rintaro Sasaki of Stanford University this fall, a source close to the matter said Tuesday.The 20-year-old enrolled at Stanford last year after skipping NPB's draft in the fall of 2023. He will be eligible for the Major League Baseball draft next year.NPB contacted MLB to confirm there is no problem in clubs drafting a player who will be eligible for the big leagues draft the following year, later notifying the 12 NPB teams, the source said.Sasaki ended his first season at Stanford in May, batting .269 with seven ho…READ FULL ARTICLE