Preston Mattingly, Phillies reportedly scouted top Japanese player over the weekend
While the Phillies were busy sweeping the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park, general manager Preston Mattingly reportedly spent the weekend in Japan scouting a top international talent.
According to Yahoo! Japan, Mattingly and other Phillies employees were in Japan to scout Hanshin Tigers third baseman/outfielder Teruaki Sato. Here’s a translation from an article originally written in Japanese, although it’s important to remember that there aren’t exact translations for everything, so take some of this with a grain of salt:
Behind the backstop of Koshien Stadium, before the gates opened and there were no spectators, stood a giant man with his arms crossed. It was Preston Mattingly, the GM of the formidable Phillies. He meticulously observed every move of Teruaki Sato. ” This is my first time in Japan , and it’s very exciting. We’re interested in him, and I think all the MLB teams will be keeping an eye on him.” The scouting trip was an unusual five-person operation, including executives from the team in the US. Having learned in advance that Teruaki Sato would only practice batting outdoors during the first game of the series, they began filming four hours before the game started. “For the past few days, I’ve been really looking forward to checking out every aspect of his play. I wanted to see everything. I wanted to see firsthand how he interacts with his teammates, how he moves on the field, his fielding, and how he uses his body during batting practice.”
Sato, 27, is listed at 6-foot-1, 207 pounds. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed. In parts of six seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball — Japan’s top league — Sato has 135 home runs and 444 RBIs. A year ago, he hit 40 home runs, drove in 102 runs and posted a .924 OPS. This year, he’s picked up where he left off, with 11 home runs, 32 RBIs and a 1.160 OPS in 41 games.
Clearly, if he’s posted by the Hanshin Tigers this upcoming offseason, Sato is going to draw widespread interest. The Phillies have never had a Japanese player make their MLB Debut with them. The only two Japanese players in franchise history are Tadahito Iguchi (2007-2008) and So Taguchi (2008), with both of their tenures now coming nearly 20 years ago. Eventually, the Phillies need to break into the market. It stands to reason that Sato will ultimately have offers from teams who have more traditionally helped Japanese players assimilate into America, such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners. But perhaps establishing a relationship this early will help the Phillies to have a shot in the offseason.
Alec Bohm is currently at third base for the Phillies, but he’ll be a free agent at the conclusion of the 2026 season. It’s long been assumed Aidan Miller will succeed him at the hot corner, though a back injury that the Phillies have provided very few details on has kept him from playing at all this year. Maybe Sato could wind up at third base and/or a corner outfield spot for the Phillies next season.
Read More Phillies Content At OnPattison
- Phillies sign former top prospect to minor-league contract
- Phillies Nuggets: Edmundo Sosa is back in left field, perhaps with more of a leash this time
- What will Donnie Baseball look like? Mattingly gives some indication of what to expect
- Dave Dombrowski acknowledges Phillies tried to hire Alex Cora as manager
- Trea Turner gives raw thoughts on Rob Thomson’s firing
- Phillies reportedly signing 17-year-old Korean pitching prospect
- MLB announces 2026 All-Star Week Philadelphia schedule
- Jonathan Bowlan has the most unique entrance song in Phillies history, and it fits him perfectly
- What is the Phillies’ uniform schedule?
- 0-99: The greatest Phillies player in the history of every number
