Softbank Hawks outfielder Naoki Sato has decided to transfer to Rakuten Eagles in the active player draft. He joined the team as the first pick in the 2019 draft from JR West Japan. He signed a development contract in the offseason of 2023, but returned to the regular team in June 2024. This season, he played in 104 games, posting career-high batting averages of .239, 5 Home Run, and 18 RBI. In October, he became an apprentice to Hotaka Yamakawa and has been training hard.
Although he was unable to become a regular player at Softbank Hawks, which has a deep outfield, the 27-year-old is a triple threat with his ability to run, hit, and defend. Following in the footsteps of Hanshin Tigers 's Otake and Nippon-Ham-Ham's Mizutani, he has the potential to break out in The Hawks' active player draft. Yamakawa encouraged him, saying, "You can become a monster," and even in the short space of about a month, he realized that the distance he was able to hit the ball had increased. "I want to become a regular player (at Rakuten Eagles) and hit the ball so hard it's almost meaningless," he declared with enthusiasm.
During a round on a day off from practice, he received a call from the team with about four holes remaining. The team told him to "call me after you're done," but he said, "I played quite a bit. I thought maybe I was a current draft pick, so I just tried to finish quickly." Feeling anxious, he finished his game and rushed to the team office, not even taking time to change into his golf clothes. "My six years (with The Hawks) felt really short, and I feel sorry that I joined as the first draft pick and didn't achieve any significant results. Being able to play at such a high level for six years has been a great asset to me," he said with a deep feeling.
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