Stanford University infielder Rintaro Sasaki (21), who was the first overall pick by Softbank Hawks in last fall's draft and is also a candidate for the MLB draft on July 11th and 12th (July 12th and 13th Japan time), returned to Japan from the United States on the 29th to speak about his current thoughts on his future career path. 38 media outlets and 68 reporters gathered at a press conference held at Haneda Airport. He also revealed that he plans to meet with Softbank Hawks in Fukuoka for two days starting July 1st. The main Q&A is as follows.

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—I will be moving to Fukuoka from July 1st.

"We will be visiting the facilities of both the first and second teams. The main purpose will be to get to know the environment and to talk with the team staff. The team wanted this to happen, and they were very keen on it."

—What are your impressions of Softbank Hawks?

"They seem like a team that specializes in hitting. I won't know for sure until I join, but there are aspects that match my playing style. My first impression is that they're a fantastic team."

—What do you want to confirm in your discussions with the team?

"I'm really looking forward to seeing how the team will match my skills and experience and how they will develop a plan for my development."

—What was the deciding factor in choosing your career path?

"I want to choose a path that aligns with the career I've built, my goals, and my ideals. I want to honestly and fairly consider all options and choose the one I feel I can take responsibility for. It's my destiny as a baseball player and as a person to face these challenges head-on and make a decision. There's also the possibility of receiving an offer from a university. I'm grateful to have these three options, and I want to make my decision with that in mind."