Nippon-Ham announces contract agreement with Saurin Rao. 26-year-old right-hander says, “I’m confident I can show 100% of my ability.”
Baseball King
January 14, 2026 04:39
On the 14th, Nippon-Ham announced that they had reached a contract agreement with former Washington Nationals player Saurin Rao.
Rao joined the Dodgers as an international amateur free agent in 2015. He played as infielder at the time, but switched to pitcher in 2023. The following year, in 2024, he was promoted to Triple-A, and in the minor leagues, he made 99 appearances and 20 starts, recording a 3.46 ERA strike out ERA Last year, he made his long-awaited major league debut, playing for the Mariners and Nationals. He had 8 appearances, with a 1-0 record and a 4.91 ERA. His fastest pitch was 95.8 mph (approximately 154.2 km/h).
The 26-year-old right-hander, Lao, expressed his enthusiasm through the team, saying, “I am truly happy to have been given the opportunity to join the The Fighters family. I am looking forward to the 2026 season. I would like to thank everyone who has made it possible for me to play baseball in Japan, which has been a long-time goal of mine. I am confident that I will be able to show 100% of my ability to The Fighters’ management, teammates, and all the fans, and I would like to contribute to the team in any way possible and become the best in Japan. I love winning, and I want to continue to win as a member of The Fighters. I look forward to seeing you all soon!”
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