Sato's 106 RBIs headlined by MLB posting entry

Infielder Teruaki Sato posted 106 runs batted in during the 2026 season, a figure that anchors the newest group of international players entering Major League Baseball's posting system. Sato of the Hanshin Tigers joins right-handers Kaima Taira of the Saitama Seibu Lions and Hiromi Itoh of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in the process. All three Japanese players are available for team signings from Monday through December 16. Infielder Si-Hwan Roh of South Korea's Hanwha Eagles also entered the system, with his window closing on December 1.

Sato, a 27-year-old third baseman, earned the Central League MVP award in 2025 after batting .277 with 40 home runs. In the current campaign, he hit .306 with 39 home runs to capture the league's Triple Crown. The left-handed hitter also contributed three hits and two RBIs for Japan in the World Baseball Classic.

Taira, who turns 27 on November 15, led Japanese major leagues with a 1.36 earned run average while finishing 12-5 in the starting rotation. He previously recorded 31 saves in 2025. Itoh, 29, won the Sawamura Award in 2025, the Japanese equivalent of the Cy Young. He posted a 3.18 ERA with 159 strikeouts in 172 2/3 innings this year. Itoh also pitched for Japan in the 2021 Olympic gold medal run and the recent World Baseball Classic.

Roh, a 25-year-old right-handed bat, finished the season with a .283 average, 25 home runs, and 96 RBIs. The posting period lasts 45 days for Japanese clubs and 30 days for Korean teams. Teams must submit signing bids by 5 p.m. EST on the final day of each respective window.

The MLB Players Association collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1. A lockout beginning that day would freeze the posting process, a scenario that occurred during the 2021-2022 work stoppage. In that instance, the signing windows resumed only after a deal was reached on March 10, 2022.

Under current agreements with Nippon Professional Baseball and the Korea Baseball Organization, posting fees are calculated as 20% of the first $25 million of a major league contract. The rate drops to 17.5% for the next $25 million and 15% for amounts exceeding $50 million. A supplemental fee of 15% applies to earned bonuses, salary escalators, and exercised options.

The first Japanese player to sign will be Sato, whose window ends December 16. The Korean window for Roh closes on December 1, the same day the MLB labor agreement is set to expire.