Now more than ever, baseball is a global game. Professional leagues exist all around the world, and while they may not have the talent level that MLB has, they still produce some amazing players. Some of the game’s best players became household names in overseas leagues before making the jump to the major leagues. Baseball’s best player, Shohei Ohtani, competed in Nippon Professional Baseball for five years before coming to America to play in Los Angeles. He’s not alone, as 22 MLB players joined the league after playing in Japan, and a further 28 started in the Korean Baseball Organization.
In 2025, more international players are expected to become household names after impressive professional careers overseas. Here are four players who could make the jump to Major League Baseball during the 2025 offseason.
NPB Pitch Data used in this article can be found here.
KBO Advanced stats can be found here.
2025 International Free Agents
Roki Sasaki, SP – Chiba Lotte Marines
The 22-year-old pitching phenom would be the crown jewel of this class, the only problem is that nobody seems to know when he’s going to make the switch to the major leagues. Sasaki could be posted this winter as an international amateur, but there have not been any official confirmation of his status. Due to his brilliance in Japan, he has almost become a mythical being that baseball fans have dreamed of watching. Sasaki jumped into baseball conversations after a record-setting perfect game at just 20 years old. He struck out 19 of the 27 batters he faced and then followed that up with eight more perfect innings in his next start. American fans got their first glimpse of Sasaki in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, getting the ball against Mexico at Marlins Park. He did not disappoint, showcasing a fastball that topped out at 102 miles an hour.
Ever since joining the professional ranks, he has been downright dominant. In four seasons with Chiba Lotte, Sasaki has a 29-15 record with a 2.10 ERA. In 2024, he struck out 129 batters in 111 innings and held a WHIP of 1.03 for the season. Despite being just 22, he would be a frontline starter for any major league team, and his arsenal is a big reason why. I mentioned the velocity that his four-seam has, but his secondary offerings are solid as well. He primarily operates with a three-pitch mix, throwing the heater alongside a slider and a splitter. All three pitches have stuff+ ratings of 120 or higher, and the offspeed offerings both generated CSW rates over 35% in the NPB last season. His repertoire is ready for the big leagues, and it will cost teams hundreds of millions of dollars to acquire it.
As is the case with any top free agent, the sharks will be circling. By sharks, I mean the big market teams with the budgets to give Sasaki a record-breaking contract. Last season showed that the Dodgers are not afraid to spend big, and it paid off with a World Series title just a few days ago. There are questions about whether or not Los Angeles can afford another big contract with their payroll sitting around $250 million before making any moves. That said, let’s face it, it’s the Dodgers, if they deem that signing Sasaki makes them a better team (spoiler: it will), they will break the bank to add him to a rotation that could feature three former NPB players next season. Other big market teams like the Yankees, Mets, and Cubs will all remain in play, but the Dodgers will be the heavy favorites to land Sasaki’s signature. Fresh off of a World title, the Dodgers will aim to land another Japanese superstar, likely for another contract over $300 million.
Tomoyuki Sugano, SP – Yomiuri Giants
At 35 years old, this is likely Sugano’s last chance to join an MLB roster. There were rumors that he was coming stateside in 2021, however, nothing materialized and he signed a lucrative contract to remain with the Giants. Four years later, the rumors are swirling again that Sugano will sign with a major league team this offseason.
The veteran starter is a legend in the NPB. He’s spent 12 years in the league and has been dominant for nearly the entire time. In his storied career, he’s racked up 136 wins in 276 games and has a career ERA of 2.68. His 2024 season was arguably his best, registering a 1.67 ERA in 156 innings on the mound. His arsenal may not have the upside that Sasaki’s does, but to have an ERA under two requires some serious stuff. Sugano operates with a six-pitch arsenal including a splitter (114 stuff+), sinker (119), and curveball (136). His cutter is his best pitch, with a CSW rate of 32.1% and a Stuff+ rating of 111, and it has been very effective in the NPB. As is the case with every player on this list, there will be questions about how the stuff translates to the majors, but the data from his time in Japan indicates that his repertoire should be competitive at the MLB level.
Sugano’s age will play a major role in the contract negotiations with Major League executives. At 35 years old, he will not have the longevity in the league that some of the others on this list do. However, his pedigree as a front-of-the-rotation player in Japan should warrant a bidding war for Sugano’s services. The starting pitching market this offseason is loaded with ace-level talent, and Sugano should be part of that group that includes Blake Snell and (surprisingly) Gerrit Cole. While he comes with some more question marks than some of the other names in this free agency class, he could be a valuable asset in the rotation for a competitive ballclub.
Shinnosuke Ogasawara, SP – Chunichi Dragons
Just last year, Shota Imanaga emerged as a key piece of the Chicago Cubs‘ rotation despite most of the headlines revolving around the Yoshinobu Yamamoto free-agency saga. The same situation could be playing out again this offseason. Out of the three starting pitchers on this list, Ogasawara is the biggest wildcard of the three. Sasaki is obviously the top prize in this international class, however, Ogasawara could be a bargain for a team looking for more pitching.
Ogasawara has been getting good results throughout his career, but the metrics don’t love his stuff. His four-seam fastball had a Stuff+ of 74, and while his offspeed pitches were rated higher, none had a CSW rate over 30%. He posted a 3.12 ERA in 144 innings last season but had a strikeouts-per-nine rate of just 5.1, which would have been by far the worst in baseball last season. MLB teams could see the upside that he carries with his arsenal though. Ogasawara throws five distinct pitches, and his best is the one he throws just 3.3% of the time. His 196 Stuff+ splitter was used just 68 times last season, and the numbers indicate that he should throw it way more.
After nine seasons in the NPB with the Chunichi Dragons, Ogasawara was posted and has 45 days to negotiate with MLB clubs. There should be some interest around the league, as reliable pitching arms are crucial to team success throughout the gauntlet that is the MLB regular season. The World Series champions opened the season with between 8-10 options for their rotation and still had to rely on bullpen games to get through the playoffs. Ogasawara projects as a back-end starter, who could even play a role out of the bullpen in the future. If I was an MLB general manager, I would explore a deal in the three-year, $35-40 million range.
Hyeseong Kim, SS – Kiwoom Heroes
Kim is the only KBO player featured on this list, and also the only hitter profiled. He’s been a productive bat in Korea for his entire career and it’s easy to see why. He’s got a smooth lefty swing that produces more contact than power, and he’s made that his calling card throughout his career. In eight seasons in professional baseball, he’s a career .304 hitter with an OPS of .766. Both of those would be comfortably in the top 50 among all MLB hitters, but the difference in talent level between the majors and the KBO will leave GMs with question marks about how well his bat will translate.
On paper, it looks like he will be able to make the adjustment. Kim may not be a guy who generates 15-20 home runs, but he makes consistent contact and could be a prototypical leadoff man. The first name that comes to mind when watching Kim is Andrés Giménez. Both players are not necessarily power threats, but their smooth swings generate a ton of base hits. The speed on the basepaths is a factor too. Kim stole 30 bases last season in the KBO, the same amount that Gimenez nabbed with Cleveland. There are some red flags to watch for in his game though. Kim’s ground-ball rate of 55% would rank second in the major leagues, and his hard-hit rate (25%) would be in the bottom ten.
Those concerns regarding Kim’s performance may limit his ceiling in the majors and therefore have an impact on his future contract. Teams are interested though, as MLB tendered a status check on Kim on Friday. That distinction is far from a guarantee that he will sign with an American team, but it indicates that he is on the radar of MLB front offices. The last player to make the jump from the KBO was Ha-Seong Kim, who signed a four-year, $28 million deal with the Padres. He hit 30 home runs the year prior though, so Kiwoom’s shortstop likely will not get that level of money. If Kim makes the jump to the majors, expect a multi-year contract in the range of $5 million per year.