Yankees Eye Japanese Slugger Teruaki Sato

The New York club is expected to join the market for the 27-year-old Japanese third baseman as he prepares to come to Major League Baseball next season.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Baseball

Empty baseball infield at dusk with a white chalk foul line curving across warm dirt toward a dugout, floodlight towers beyond the outfield. — The Yankees are expected to pursue Japanese third baseman Teruaki Sato, 27, as he prepares to make the jump to Major League Baseball via the posting system next season. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Yankees expected to be involved in the market for Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato, a left-handed hitting third baseman who won the Nippon Professional Baseball MVP award last year. Sato is expected to come to MLB next season via the posting system.

Why it matters

The Yankees must address several infield positions this offseason, and Ryan McMahon's disappointing season has left third base in limbo. Sato could trigger a bidding war among big-market teams.

Sato's NPB line of .306/.383/.609 included 40 doubles, 39 home runs and 106 RBI last season. Whether those numbers translate to MLB pitching is not yet known.

The players

Teruaki Sato

Sato is a 27-year-old Japanese slugger who won the Nippon Professional Baseball MVP award last year and is considered a top free-agent target.

Ryan McMahon

McMahon is a Yankees infielder who batted .213 with 11 homers and 41 RBI last season and is owed $16 million next year on the final year of his deal.

The details

Sato, 27, is a left-handed hitting third baseman who is expected to come to MLB via the posting system. Some MLB teams envision using him at second base, first base and in the outfield, and he has been linked to the Mets as a potential first baseman.

Last season: Sato won the NPB MVP award while McMahon had a disappointing season.
Offseason: The Yankees need to address their infield positions.
Next season: Sato is expected to come to MLB via the posting system.

Season Trajectory

The posting system has long been the route for Japanese stars to reach MLB, and Sato's expected arrival continues that pattern. For the Yankees, adding a bat of his profile could reshape a lineup that needs help at several infield spots.

If the Yankees land Sato, fantasy managers would gain a power-hitting infielder with multiple positions of eligibility. The Mets' interest also means a first-base option could emerge in another division.

The takeaway

Sato's arrival would test whether NPB production translates to MLB, a question that will shape how big-market teams approach the posting market this winter.