Competitive Bellingham Bells pitcher adds unique delivery style, culture to team

This article originally appeared in Cascadia Daily News on July 21, 2025

By Nick Zeller-Singh

Baseball has been one of the sports most impacted by international players, who make up nearly 28% of Major League Baseball rosters as of spring 2025.

Athletes have also transferred from other countries to collegiate baseball programs in recent years. One of those players looking to make an impact is Japan's Chihiro Sato.

Sato, a Tokyo native, played for Edmonds College last spring and is now a pitcher for the Bellingham Bells.

"I want to play baseball at a higher level," Sato said. "I believe that living in an unfamiliar culture and language, the ability to challenge and adapt, and a sense of independence will be learned."

Sato is the third international player and second Japanese athlete to play for the Bellingham Bells. 

"I've coached players from other nationalities, but this is my first experience coaching someone from Japan," Bells pitching coach Jim Clem said. "He's all about his work and very competitive."

With Clem's coaching, Sato has provided a new style of pitching his teammates and opponents are not used to.

"He changes his timing, his delivery and has pauses," Clem said. "It's actually quite fun to watch because you're not quite sure what he's going to do on the next pitch. His game is not like the modern game of baseball with an emphasis on velocity."

As of July 21, Sato has a 2-0 record with 11 strikeouts, 21 hits allowed and a 5.25 ERA across 24 innings.

The 5-foot-10, 175-pound sophomore is different than a typical American pitcher because his fastball does not reach 90 mph, and he has a "rubber arm" due to his practice style in Japan. A rubber arm is someone who can throw a high number of pitches without showing signs of wear and tear on their arm.

"I thought he was throwing way too much," Edmonds Community College coach Brooks Roy said. "Where he's from, they throw long tosses every day so he's kind of got that rubber arm."

Sato, 19, moved from Tokyo to Washington a year ago and is still learning to adapt to a new culture and language.

"It's too expensive and difficult to use English," Sato said. "There was too much stuff to bring from Japan, but I discover something new every day, such as food and people, and that's what I enjoy the most now."

Sato also describes how the baseball atmosphere in Japan differs from American culture. In Japan, baseball fuses skill, soul and passion. In the United States, baseball emphasizes power, velocity and tenacity. 

"I like American baseball, in my opinion, because I find the clash of power in America very attractive," Sato said.

As Sato settles in Washington, he has created a support system around him. He was first discovered in Japan last year by a recruiter at Edmonds College. When Sato arrived, he was nervous of his new surroundings, but got acclimated when he began playing last summer for the Tritons. 

"When (Chihiro) steps on the mound, he's locked in," Roy said. "When you catch him off the field, he's probably the nicest guy you'll ever meet, really respectful and a goofball."

Sato finished his first season at Edmonds College with a 3-3 record, 36 strikeouts, a 2.81 ERA and 50 hits allowed in 57.2 innings pitched. After the spring season, Sato's support system grew when he met Chris and Lola Reed, his host family for the Bells.

"This is actually our first time hosting," Lola said. "My husband lost his baseball watching/talking partner when our youngest son joined the military. When we found out we were hosting Chihiro, we were really excited to get someone international."

When Sato is not playing, he enjoys exploring nearby cities, watching baseball with the Reed family and learning the culture.

"It has been very fun to watch baseball with him," Lola said. "Chihiro has a great attitude and is very respectful … we wish we had more time to learn more from him."

Sato hopes to win the West Coast League, compete in college for four years and become another impactful international player in the MLB. Until then, he will continue to develop himself on and off the field. 

"My baseball career has been a special experience, growing up in the different baseball cultures of Japan and the United States," Sato said. "I have been required to express myself with confidence and the ability to be flexible, and I feel that I am growing every day."