Ayami Sato, a Japanese pitcher, has joined the Toronto Maple Leafs of the Intercounty Baseball League, becoming the first female player in the league.
In a press release on Tuesday, the team revealed the signing.
The 34-year-old Sato, who is widely regarded as baseball’s best female pitcher, assisted Japan in winning five of its seven consecutive Women’s Baseball World Cup titles (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018).
She won the title of most valuable player in the tournaments held in 2014, 2016, and 2018.
From 2013 until the league’s suspension in 2021, she was a pitcher in the Japan Women’s Baseball League, where she led the league in strikeouts in three of the previous four seasons.
With a 17–25 record, Toronto placed seventh in the IBL the previous season.
Sato released a statement saying, “I am so thrilled to have the opportunity to play with the Toronto Maple Leafs.” “It is a dream come true for me to play at this competitive level with former major leaguers and top minor league players.”
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