MLB" batting data is comparable to Ohtani and Murakami! US media predicts that rookie Teruaki Sato will hit 30 years old

Teruaki Sato. (File photo, Reuters)

[Sports Center/Comprehensive Report] Hanshin Tigers three-time batting champion Teruaki Sato will challenge the major leagues through the admission system after the season. Major League Baseball official website expert David Adler wrote an article analyzing Sato Teruaki's batting data and praised his batting speed as good as Dodger superstar Shohei Ohtani, and his swing speed is comparable to that of White Sox slugger Murakami Munetaka.

Adler wrote an article citing data from the sports data website "FanGraphs" to predict Teruaki Sato's performance in the 2027 rookie season. He is expected to deliver 31 home runs, 89 RBIs, hitting measurements of .247/.314/.468, wRC+ as high as 112, and WAR of 2.7. Adler believes that such results are outstanding. Currently, there are only 23 hitters who are predicted to hit more than 30 home runs next year, and Sato is one of them.

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Adler pointed out that it can be seen from Nippon Professional Data that Teruaki Sato swings the bat quickly, hits the ball with strong force, and is good at hitting the ball into the air. His average swing speed is nearly 75 miles per hour (approximately 121 kilometers per hour), which would rank in the top 50 based on 2026 major league data. Sato's swing speed in Japan is almost identical to Murakami's data in the major leagues, with Murakami's 74.7 miles per hour (approximately 120 kilometers per hour).

Adler also mentioned that Teruaki Sato's initial batting speed is at the level of the top ten hitters in the major leagues, which is comparable to Shohei Ohtani's data in the 2026 season. His highest initial batting speed exceeds 117 miles per hour (about 188 kilometers per hour), and there are only a few hitters who can reach this level in the major leagues. In addition, Sato’s strong batting average will rank in the upper reaches of the major leagues.

Teruaki Sato is often compared to Munetaka Murakami by the outside world. Adler believes that there are indeed many similarities between the two, but their fighting strategies are different. Murakami is a very patient hitter with excellent ball selection ability. He is good at using the discipline of ball selection to make up for his shortcomings of high swing rate. He often chooses to walk, and only when he waits for the ball he wants, he will swing with all his strength.

Sato's batting style is exactly the opposite. He is a very active hitter. This season, his batting rate is as high as 53%, and his swing rate and batting rate when facing strikes are both about 80%. Adler admitted frankly that this batting style is a double-edged sword. When he encounters pitchers with excellent pitches and sharp changes in the major leagues, such a style of play is undoubtedly risky.