UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State baseball, led by head coach Mike Gambino, signed Japanese pitcher Genei Sato on Monday.
Sato, a 21-year-old right-handed pitcher, is expected to enroll in Penn State classes this Summer and will join the Nittany Lions in Fall 2026 to compete in the 2027 season. Sato will be eligible for the 2027 MLB Draft.
“When Genei’s camp reached out to explore a move to college baseball, our staff used their connections to gather reports and video and it became clear to us that this is a premium arm,” said Gambino. “He’s in the conversation among best arms in Japan and was considered a top draft prospect in the Nippon league and has the potential to be a top round pick here.”
“Through the process of learning about program, the investments made into it and the Penn State community, Genei fell in love with it.”
“To bring in a talent like Genei, it took a lot of work behind the scenes from academics, admissions, compliance and the Japanese department and we’re very grateful for the work from all of those individuals in this process.”
Sato spent three years at Sendai University in Shibata, Japan. He is considered to be a potential first-round pick in the 2027 MLB Draft. Before deciding to pursue a college path, Sato was considered a top prospect in the 2026 Nippon Professional Baseball Draft.
While at Sendai University, Sato threw 170.1 innings while posting a 2.22 ERA. He averaged 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings, while allowing six hits per nine innings and 3.3 walks per nine innings.
His fastball has been clocked between 94-97 mph while topping out at 99. He also features a splitter (88-91), slider (82-85) and curveball (71-74).
Sato competed for Japan in the US-Japan Collegiate All-Star Series last July. He served as the closer for the Japanese Collegiate National Team, recording 4.1 innings, allowing one run and striking out six.
He is the 12th member of Penn State’s 2026 signing class, which includes the top prospect and three of the Top 9 prospects in Pennsylvania, according to Prep Baseball Report. It also includes two of the Top 7 prospects in New Jersey.
Penn State finished the 2025 season with a 33-23 record, posting its second-most wins in a season. PSU reached the 30-win mark for the first time since 2011.
The Nittany Lions made another strong run in the Big Ten Tournament, reaching the semifinals in back-to-back years for the first time since 2000-01.
In Big Ten play, PSU won five Big Ten series in a season for the first time since 2012 and won three Big Ten road series for the first time since 2012. Its 15 Big Ten wins were its most since 2012 (not counting a Big Ten-only schedule in 2021).
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The 2026 Penn State baseball season is presented by The Family Clothesline.