If Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns meant what he said late last month that he “wouldn’t close the door” on searching for an external remedy at first base, Teruaki Sato sure seems like a no-brainer of a target.
The 27-year-old Japanese slugger could be posted by his NPB club, the Hanshin Tigers, this winter, and the Mets are one of numerous teams that have already shown interest. Stearns himself went to Japan in early September to watch the lefty in action. Sato is currently a third baseman, but would be a prime candidate for first in Queens, especially if Bo Bichette opts into the second year of his contract.
Sato just finished off a historic 2026 season with Hanshin, becoming the first player since Munetaka Murakami in 2022 and the ninth ever to win the NPB Triple Crown. He batted .306 with 39 home runs and 106 RBI.
There will obviously be questions about how Sato’s game would make the jump to North America, but Murakami’s first year with the Chicago White Sox this season is cause for intrigue. While he batted a paltry .207 with 196 strikeouts, he mashed 35 home runs and was a key player in the White Sox’s remarkable turnaround from three straight 100-loss seasons to the playoffs.
Sato would be the prime external candidate that Stearns alluded to simply because the unrestricted free-agent market at first base is so thin, headlined by Jake Bauers and Ty France. Bauers had a career year with the Milwaukee Brewers, slugging 26 home runs (he never had more than 12 before this year). France posted career-bests in home runs (21) and OPS (.865) with the San Diego Padres.
But a big-time power bat would do wonders to anchor the middle of the Mets’ lineup and supplement the loss of Pete Alonso, who mashed 43 home runs in his first year with the Baltimore Orioles. Sato has the ceiling to at least be that player. Bauers and France do not — nor do the Mets’ internal options.
The Jorge Polanco experiment failed spectacularly. The career middle infielder underwent ankle surgery after playing in just 37 games (and hitting .148 with a .431 OPS), and should be ready to go by spring training. But continuing to solely rely on an oft-injured player would be baseball malpractice by Stearns.
Jared Young and Brett Baty could also be in the mix for first-base reps. Young batted .296 with an .802 OPS in his final 59 games of the 2026 season before suffering a concussion. Baty, once the organization’s top third-base prospect, served as a super utility option this year and came on strong late, batting .321 with a .980 OPS, four home runs, and 22 RBI in his last 35 games.
Again, both players are suspect to legitimately and solely rely on. Before this season, Young has struggled just to stick in the majors, and Baty has failed to secure an everyday role across five different seasons with the Mets.
This is not to suggest that Sato will be a lock for superstardom or some gimme of an upgrade, but the upside is certainly there, and Stearns should undoubtedly take the chance of mounting a legitimate pursuit.
For more on Teruaki Sato and the Mets, visit AMNY.com
