Teruaki Sato gave Hanshin Tigers fans an early 2025 highlight when he homered off Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell, a two-time Cy Young winner, during an exhibition at Tokyo Dome in March.
While undoubtedly a cool moment for Tigers fans, it was the type of thing that tends to fade from memory once the pennant race gets underway.
But as the season rolls into its second month with Sato slugging at a high level, that home run against Snell is beginning to look like it was a sign of bigger things to come.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.