Teruaki Sato achieves Triple Crown with Hanshin Tigers

Teruaki Sato of the Hanshin Tigers has become the ninth player in professional baseball history to achieve the Triple Crown. During the 2026 Central League season, Sato recorded a .306 batting average, 39 home runs, and 106 RBIs, leading the league in all three categories.

This achievement marks the first Triple Crown in the Central League in four years, since Munetaka Murakami in 2022. For the Hanshin Tigers, Sato is the first player to reach this milestone since Randy Bass in the mid-1980s.

Former professional player Michihiro Ogasawara attributed Sato’s improved performance to technical adjustments in his batting stance, noting that Sato has better spacing and control by not opening his front foot too early. Additionally, craftsman Tamio Nawa of Mizuno, who produces Sato’s maple bats, congratulated the player on his achievement.