For clubs already turning the page toward next spring, Japan’s market offers one imposing left-handed hitter and three right-handers whose roles may be debated long before any contract is signed. Teruaki Sato, Kaima Taira, Hiromi Itoh and Kona Takahashi each bring a different kind of NPB résumé into an offseason that could shape the 2027 Major League picture.
Teruaki Sato brings the loudest bat
Sato followed his 2026 Central League MVP season by raising his production again for the Hanshin Tigers, putting together the ninth Triple Crown season in NPB history. He finished at .306/.383/.609 in a Central League where clubs scored only 3.4 runs per game, well below MLB’s 4.48-run average.
- He appeared for Japan in the World Baseball Classic and went 3-for-10 with three doubles and two RBIs.
- He returned to Hanshin and improved his rate production across the board.
- His season ended with a historic Triple Crown, making him a player MLB clubs will watch closely if Hanshin makes him available.
The scout’s read is straightforward: Sato is a powerful left-handed hitter who can handle big moments. The outfield may be his best Major League home, though he has experience that could give a club options at third base or first base.
Recent MLB success from Japanese sluggers Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto adds to the optimism around Sato’s offensive translation. The Mets, Phillies, Yankees, Dodgers, Mariners and Giants would all make sense on a broad list of potential fits, though a bat of this caliber would draw attention across the league.
Kaima Taira has the stuff, and a role question
Taira, 26, returned to starting duty in 2026 and delivered a 12-5 record with a 1.36 ERA over 146 innings. The right-hander struck out 141 and walked 45, pairing a mid-90s fastball with a cutter, slider, changeup and split-finger.
His arsenal is among the most intriguing in the potential class. The scout described him as a pitcher with a big fastball, a deep secondary mix and an interest in analytics. The issue is not whether he has pitches. It is whether an MLB club sees his strongest future in a rotation or at the back of a bullpen.
- Taira had established himself as a difficult assignment for NPB hitters in recent seasons.
- His 2026 campaign was his first full turn in a rotation since 2023, and it became his best starting season yet.
- At 5-foot-8, he still faces the familiar question attached to smaller starters: whether his velocity and fastball would play even better in relief.
The scout leans toward the bullpen, noting that Taira’s velocity and fastball looked sharper during his relief work. Still, starting pitching is never cheap, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto has shown once again that elite Japanese pitching does not require a towering frame. Marcus Stroman is the only pitcher listed at 5-foot-8 or shorter to exceed 100 innings in a Major League season since Fred Norman did it in 1979, but teams could give Taira every chance to start if that opportunity matters to him.
The Yankees, Cubs, Mariners, Angels and Tigers stand out as possible matches should Taira be posted for 2027.
Hiromi Itoh carries a deep bag of pitches
Itoh, 28, has already shown U.S. audiences a glimpse of his upside. In the 2023 World Baseball Classic, he worked 2 1/3 scoreless innings and looked overpowering. He entered the 2026 Classic as the reigning Sawamura Award winner, NPB’s counterpart to the Cy Young Award.
- His 2023 WBC appearance put his electric relief look on an international stage.
- He arrived at the 2026 tournament carrying the Sawamura Award.
- Japan’s run ended when Itoh allowed a go-ahead home run to Wilyer Abreu, sending Venezuela to the semifinals.
- His NPB season followed with a 10-10 record, a 3.18 ERA, 172 2/3 innings, 159 strikeouts and 34 walks.
The 2026 line represented a step back for Itoh, who allowed more than one hit per inning for the first time in his career. At 5-foot-9 and roughly 40 pounds lighter than Taira, he may also face a relief projection in the majors.
That might not be a bad outcome. The scout believes Itoh could be a starter who moves up and down between roles, but noted that his bullpen work in the earlier WBC featured 94-96 mph velocity and particularly nasty stuff. His pitch repertoire is unusually broad, with more than 10 different grips and shapes in the mix.
Itoh’s own message is that there is more to his mound presence than simply delivering pitches. He wants fans in the United States and elsewhere to see the enjoyment and emotion he brings to the game, saying he likes to show his excitement on the mound. The Giants, Blue Jays, Braves and Tigers could be logical landing spots if he heads to MLB in 2027.
Kona Takahashi is free to choose his next step
Takahashi’s path differs from the others. He was posted last winter, elected to stay in Japan, and now has free-agent status that would allow him to sign with any Major League club if he chooses to make the move.
The 29-year-old right-hander went 9-6 with a 2.54 ERA over 138 1/3 innings in 2026, striking out 114 while walking 47. His fastball sits in the low 90s, and he changed his approach this season by moving away from his curveball in favor of more two-seam fastballs and sliders.
That profile points most naturally toward relief work in the majors. The scout sees Takahashi as a pitcher whose secondary offerings should translate, and believes he could become a very good MLB reliever. The Rangers, Padres and Athletics are among the clubs that could use that kind of arm if Takahashi decides the time is right.
There will be no shortage of attention on the stars at the top of the international board, but this group offers several versions of the same offseason gamble: trust the track record, decide on the role, and see whether the stuff can carry from NPB into a major league clubhouse.
