Ric O’Hara オハラ律空

Tokyo | Arizona | Japanese Translator for the Athletics

[Shiryu Sato/佐藤志龍🇯🇵 @shiryu_sato1020]

I’m Shiryu Sato, INF (SS/2B/3B) from Japan 🇯🇵
Cochise College (2025–26) / aiming to transfer to a 4-year university in Fall 2026.

2025 Season Stats at Herkimer CC:
AVG .426 ｜ OBP .567 ｜ SLG .770 ｜ OPS 1.367 ｜ SB 12

My DMs are open — feel free to react and I’ll reach out.

[Jeffrey Kahn @jkahn_5]

America next!? 🇯🇵One of Japan’s top ‘26 IF prospects has expressed interest in playing baseball in the States.

Yuito Arai 新井唯斗 (@yuitoarai8553) is a 6-0, 176-pound SS/RHP out of Hachioji Gakuen Hachioji (JP). Skillful and athletic up the middle moving well and showing range looking the part despite only having played shortstop for just one year (previously at CF). Impressed with his lateral quickness and ability around the bag during the high energy defensive session while showing soft hands and a quick transfer.

Showed a strong arm which was backed up during his bullpen with a fastball up to 88 MPH. Had a curveball at 72 MPH and a change up at 76 MPH. Left-handed bat who profiles out of the leadoff spot. Hit .422 (19-for-45) this year in games that counted towards Koshien with five doubles and one triple (not counting numerous “scrimmage” games). Had an in-game 4.01s home to first in April, per @Norifumi_Nishio.

Told me his dream is to play in the MLB and is wanting to seek opportunities in order to get there. @FiveTool_Intl

@FiveTool profile: https://t.co/KiOTQQEloG

[Jeffrey Kahn @jkahn_5]

🇯🇵 Shiryu Sato (@shiryu_sato1020) has indeed been a problem.

Through 35 games for @Herk_Baseball (NY), the 5-10, 191-pound JUCO 3B is hitting .433 (47-106) with 11 doubles, 8 HR, and 48 RBI. Has also swiped 12 bags. @FiveToolJUCO

Freshman who made the move to the US after starring in Japanese HS baseball for Kendai Takasaki (JP). @FiveTool_Intl @FiveToolJUCO

@FiveTool profile: https://t.co/tU2chske26

[Athletics @Athletics]

Max Power!

First MLB hit ✔️
First MLB home run ✔️

[MLB Pipeline @MLBPipeline]

The @Athletics' farm system saw its stock rise over the past two Drafts, with both of their top picks now leading the system.

Here's the club's 2025 Top 30 Prospects list: https://t.co/ZUhXZvYQz4

[球音 @kyuonbaseball]

森井翔太郎選手、アメリカの野球関連のSNSインフルエンサーがプレーの動画をSNSにアップしたのが、アメリカ球界に存在を広めるキッカケになったんだなぁ。

1本の動画で人生変わる選手がいる。

まぁこれはいい方向に転がった例だから、動画や写真をSNSにアップするのを全て肯定すると言うわけではないけれど、知られる事で野球人生の選択肢が明るい方向に広がる選手がいると言う事は日本国内の野球関係者は知っておいてほしいなと思う。

[Ric O’Hara オハラ律空 @OharaRic]

@jkahn_5 @kyuonbaseball 最高！

[Jeffrey Kahn @jkahn_5]

Last January I took a solo trip to Japan. I didn’t know any 日本語. The flight attendant on the way out had even attempted to teach me some of the language.

I was just going for fun. Part of that fun would be seeing one unknown player:

Shotaro Morii

Thanks to a friend and co-worker, I had a day set up for Shotaro to work out at practice for me. On Jan. 5, a day before, his agency (a company that helps Japanese players get to America) told us he was "hurt."

Instantly I knew this was off. I requested to meet with his agency. I wanted to see him. And so, I found myself traveling through Tokyo to a random building complex to meet with two essential strangers.

I explained who I was and what Five Tool was. I showed them that it can be powerful when we find a player and post about him. I showed them a Japanese player who gained a huge following because of a post I did. I showed them his followers and it was D1 after D1 school. They looked at each other, spoke in Japanese, and one turned to me and said:

"We think Shotaro will be good for tomorrow."

And so I went out the next day. Took a train an hour away west to Kunitachi and TOHO. It was an amazing experience. Upon walking in I felt welcomed, and I was excited.

And up came Shotaro, smiling and as happy as could be. I asked how he was feeling and he was like, "great!" He knew little English and we used Google Translate to clear up that he indeed wasn't hurt. And he was ready to give me his all.

He quickly warmed up and then was ready to go. He took about 30 balls at short throwing to first. On the 10th throw, I used my radar without him knowing and he was 90 MPH across.

He then took to the mound, his first warm up pitch was 91. I knew this would go crazy. I instantly sent that one single clip of the warm up to several college coaches. One coach of a major college told me, “full ride, whatever he wants.” Of course, I have a great relationship with this coach and we had talked about before how I would be seeing Shotaro, but he wasn’t joking — he started giving me his recruiting pitch. 😅

Shotaro then threw 15 pitches ranging 90-92 MPH with great off-speed. He then went to hit. It was majestic. The video speaks for itself.

The next day, I put the video together to post on Five Tool social media channels. Once it was posted, I got calls and messages from people across the country. Coaches I didn't even know were tracking down my number to ask me about Shotaro. I did everything I could to help get them in contact.

I had been told that his high school never had any amount of calls, requests, etc., since I posted the video of him. Shotaro’s best route at the time was going JUCO before I saw him or to the NPB with a third-round projection. No one in America had known of him.

His school, TOHO, is known for amazing academics, not athletics. Therefore, his opportunities to be seen were lesser because they don't compete far in HS tournaments. I would get some videos from Shotaro here and there and post it. That had created some major buzz which slowly began making 森井翔太郎 a household name in Japan.

Shotaro is taking the best path for him and his family. An opportunity that gets him paid and one step closer to the MLB. Of course, to my knowledge, none of this *currently* happens without that Instagram post as mentioned by The Athletic.

But regardless of that, Shotaro was going to find his path to a contract be it now or later on down the road. Because the best players find their on ways to get to where they need to be. So even had I not shown up, Shotaro was still going to go where he was destined to be. It’s now, as it always was, up to him to push his limits and make it to the MLB becoming who he wants to be.

So while social media is an amazing tool which leads to things such as walk-on spots, full-ride offers, and $1.5m contracts, it’s always going to be up to the player to decide who and how good they are going to be. And my belief with Shotaro is that he’s going to have ever-lasting thirst to becoming the greatest player he can possibly be.

[Jeffrey Kahn @jkahn_5]

🇯🇵 Japan’s No. 1 HS prospect?

‘26 Genki Ishigaki (石垣元気) is a 6-1, 172-pound RHP out of Noboribetsu, JP, in Hokkaido. Reportedly up to 98 MPH (3rd fastest in Japanese HS baseball history behind Shohei Ohtani and Rōki Sasaki).

Was 92-94 MPH on this January practice day for Kendai Takasaki (JP) after a full-body workout. 5-pitch arsenal with slider at 78-80 MPH, curveball at 67-70 MPH, cutter at 84 MPH, and splitter at 85 MPH.

Clean, loose arm with explosion. Has great feel and control for high-spin slider. Several sites consider him the No. 1 or No. 2 prospect for the NPB Draft. @FiveTool_Intl

@FiveTool profile: https://t.co/FmcR32xqBX

[Jeffrey Kahn @jkahn_5]

‘27 Lea Matsumoto (@leamatsumoto) is a 5-10, 180-pound 1B/OF out of Tokyo, Japan.

Got to see him workout here in Mito after his viral home run video got 2M views. Beautiful left-handed swing with gap-to-gap power. Starts with hands high and ball jumps off the bat.

Learning English and wanting to play college in America. Plays for Club Rebase in JP and interested in coming over for an August baseball trip.

Attends Koiwa (JP). @FiveTool_Intl

More video @FiveTool profile: https://t.co/qHXBLbknTY

[Jeffrey Kahn @jkahn_5]

Juco freshman Shiryu Sato (@shiryu_sato1020) is going to be a problem.

🇯🇵 5-10, 191-pound IF out of Kawasaki, Japan. Went to Kendai Takasaki (JP). @FiveTool_Intl

Infield clips and BP here included from a private indoor workout. Completed his first fall in America at @Herk_Baseball in NY and is now gearing up for a big spring. Slick with the glove and some juice in the bat. Physical looking player who worked out pretty loose. Excited to see what he does in 2025. @FiveToolJUCO

@FiveTool profile: https://t.co/tU2chske26

[Sun Devil Baseball @ASU_Baseball]

SIT BACK AND ENJOY THIS ONE, FOLKS.

#O2V /// #ForksUp

[Jeffrey Kahn @jkahn_5]

Light yard work.

🇯🇵 '25 SS/RHP Shotaro Morii 森井翔太郎 (@ShotaroMorii) hit career home runs No. 37 (🎥), No. 38 (🎥), and No. 39 over the weekend playing at his home field TOHO in Tokyo, Japan.

Getting daily NPB Draft buzz, but still 👀 college baseball in America.

@FiveTool_Intl

@FiveTool profile: https://t.co/LWUZcl3z6y

[Five Tool Arizona @FiveToolAZ]

Ric O’Hara (@ohararic) lines one up the middle for his second hit of the game. #FiveToolHitting

@CWolfBaseball (AZ) 2023

Profile: https://t.co/qMpp2iRRGE

[Ric O’Hara オハラ律空 @OharaRic]

Some of my recent hits.

[Prospect Wire | Player Spotlights @PW_Players]

Ric Ohara
⁦@AZ_Athletics⁩ 2023 Duhe
2-2, 2RBI

⁦@ProspectWire⁩
#PWPoG
#PWBaseball