Phillies sent scouts to Japan for Hanshin Tigers 3B Teruaki Sato

Preston Mattingly and four other members of the Phillies front office made the trip to Japan this week to get a look at Hanshin Tigers third baseman Teruaki Sato.

Here’s what Teruaki Sato has done this season in 138 at-bats:

• .370/.453/.739 slash line
• 51 hits, 15 doubles, 10 home runs, 30 RBI
• 23 walks, 41 strikeouts

That’s a monster line. A .739 slugging percentage with that kind of on-base number will get every MLB front office on a plane.

Mattingly said it’s his first time in Japan and that the Phillies are interested, while admitting every team in the majors will be keeping an eye on Sato.

He said he wanted to see “every aspect of his play,” from how he moves in the field and uses his body in batting practice to how he interacts with his teammates.

Phillies sent scouts to Japan for Hanshin Tigers 3B Teruaki Sato

NEWS: Preston Mattingly and four others from the Phillies are currently in Japan scouting Hanshin Tigers 3B Teruaki Sato.

Sato’s stats this season:
138 AB | 51 H | 15 2B | 10 HR | 30 RBI |
23 BB | 41 K | .370/.453/.739 pic.twitter.com/pIwsucUx4P

— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) May 16, 2026

The Fit Obviously Makes Sense For The Phillies

On paper, this is exactly the kind of player the Phillies should be chasing. Alec Bohm is a free agent, the infield defense fell apart this season, and the lineup badly needs another bat that can hit for power without being 33 years old. Sponichi Japan is even reporting that Sato’s idol is Bryce Harper. You couldn’t write a better recruiting pitch.

It’s Also The Phillies…

Look, nobody loves the idea of tapping into the Japan market more than I do. The problem is the Phillies have had little to no success there. When the biggest names have come over, this franchise has been an afterthought, and there’s no reason to think that changes just because the general manager took a flight.

Scouting him is the easy part. Actually landing him, against every big-market team in baseball, is a whole different story. I have very little faith this organization gets it done.

Still, it’s worth keeping an eye on.

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