Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Mets have scouted NPB slugger Teruaki Sato. Sato, who plays for the Hanshin Tigers, is currently slashing .318/.404/.622/1.026 with 27 home runs, 76 RBIs and 76 runs in 103 games.
Yakyu Cosmopolitan has limited data for Sato in their app, but from what we can see he struggles to make consistent contact, has a high degree of chase and swing and miss, and focuses on pulling the ball in the air. But when he does make contact, it is hard contact. Defensively, he is much more likely to end up at first base than third base in the majors.
Jorge Castillo of ESPN previously compared Sato to Ryan O’Hearn.
Teruaki Sato
The Mets have also scouted pitcher Hiromi Itoh. Itoh has a 3.01 ERA and 1.20 WHIP across 134 2/3 innings.
Itoh is not a heavy strikeout pitcher, focusing more on limiting walks and getting ground balls. He averaged 91.5 miles per hour on his fastball and he throws a slider, curveball, sinker, and changeup. His fastball comes in with a very high iVB from his lower slot while his sinker/changeup combination keeps the ball on the ground.
Jorge Castillo compared him to Sonny Gray.
