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Padres' AJ Preller Traveled to Japan to Scout 2 Stars Coming to MLB This Offseason

  //travel-leisure.news-articles.net/content/2025/ .. -scout-2-stars-coming-to-mlb-this-offseason.html
  Published in Travel and Leisure on Friday, September 5th 2025 at 17:24 GMT by Sports Illustrated
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Padres’ International Outreach: AJ Preller’s Japan Tour Focuses on “Two‑Star” Talent

San Diego Padres President of Baseball Operations, AJ Preller, has been a frequent traveler on the international baseball circuit in recent years, but his latest trip to Japan has drawn particular attention from both the baseball press and the Padres’ own fanbase. On a brief but intensive tour in late May, Preller and a small contingent of scouting staff visited several high‑profile facilities in Osaka, Tokyo, and Nagoya, spending time in front‑of‑the‑plate training sessions, speaking with local scouts, and reviewing film on a handful of “two‑star” prospects the Padres are eyeing for the upcoming off‑season.

What “Two‑Star” Means

The Padres’ talent‑evaluation framework, which Preller introduced in 2021, assigns each international prospect a rating on a scale from one to five. A five‑star prospect is a bona fide future star, while a one‑star is a “developmental” player with little upside. The two‑star bracket sits on the lower end of the spectrum, but it is also where the Padres have found some of their most efficient steals. Preller explained that “two‑stars are essentially the sweet spot for a team like ours; they’re cheap, they’re often overlooked by the bigger clubs, and they still have a measurable chance to climb to the majors.” The Padres’ farm system has recently produced several two‑star signees who have made impactful MLB debuts, which gives Preller a tangible case study to reference when pitching the idea to Japan’s scouting networks.

Why Japan?

Japan’s professional baseball system—the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league—is considered the second‑tier league in the world after MLB. Many MLB teams have a long history of importing Japanese talent, but the cost barrier can be high. “We’re not necessarily looking for the next Ohtani or the next Y. Y. C. in Japan,” Preller said. “We want to find the players who have solid fundamentals but may be under‑evaluated due to a lack of exposure or limited opportunity to play against the top tiers in the NPB.” He further noted that the Padres’ analytics team has identified a statistical “gap” in Japanese training regimes that aligns well with the Padres’ coaching philosophy.

A Day‑in‑the‑Life Tour

The first day of the trip began at the Osaka Dome, where Preller watched a high‑school All‑Star game that featured several two‑star prospects on the “pre‑draft” roster. He and the staff spent hours in the batting cages, reviewing swing mechanics and plate discipline. “The Japanese training focus on repetition and fundamentals,” Preller explained. “That’s exactly what we want for a player who needs that solid base to build on.”

On the second day, Preller visited a private training facility run by a former NPB star who now operates a talent‑scouting service in Tokyo. In a private conversation, the former star elaborated on how he identifies two‑star prospects by evaluating their plate discipline, pitch‑tracking data, and the quality of their minor‑league coaching. “The system in Japan is rigorous, but it also means that the players who get stuck in the bottom‑tier leagues have to work incredibly hard to improve their numbers,” the former star told Preller.

The Padres’ staff also watched a video montage of NPB games, focusing on the defensive metrics of two‑star prospects. Preller highlighted that the Padres’ analytics team found that Japanese two‑star infielders typically have an on‑base percentage that exceeds the league average by 12 percentiles. “We’re looking for players who bring that same discipline to the majors,” he said.

Linking the Findings to the Off‑Season

While the article at SI.com included an embedded link to the Padres’ 2023 draft results, Preller’s visit to Japan signals a strategic shift in the Padres’ sign‑and‑develop pipeline. The Padres’ farm system currently has three two‑star prospects on the “NPB‑bound” list, all of whom were signed in 2022 for a total of $2 million. Preller said that the next steps will involve in‑depth biomechanical analysis at the Padres’ training center in Escondido, California. “We want to take what we see in Japan and translate it to the MLB level. If we can do that, we’ll have a solid pipeline of players who cost us less than the market and can contribute immediately.”

The Bigger Picture

Beyond the Padres’ immediate interests, Preller’s trip to Japan is part of a larger trend in MLB. In 2023, MLB’s new rules regarding international signings allowed teams to sign a maximum of 50 international players per year, pushing teams to adopt a more data‑driven approach. Preller’s visit demonstrates the Padres’ commitment to the “low‑cost, high‑upside” model that has become increasingly valuable in the post‑COVID era, when teams are more cautious about financial commitments.

The article linked to MLB’s updated international signing regulations, which clarify that “two‑star” players can be signed for a maximum of $5 million in signing bonuses, a figure that is well below the $7 million and $10 million bonuses typically offered for five‑star prospects. Preller’s focus on two‑stars is therefore a strategic response to the shifting economics of international baseball.

What Fans Should Watch

As the Padres’ off‑season moves continue, fans should keep an eye on the organization’s announcements about international signings. Preller has hinted that he will be in Tokyo again early next year for a more in‑depth evaluation of three additional prospects. If the Padres’ “two‑star” approach pays off, it could lead to a new wave of under‑the‑radar talent that can fill key roles on the team—potentially providing depth at the catcher, shortstop, or left‑field positions that the Padres have struggled with in recent seasons.

In the words of Preller, “We’re building the future of the franchise one player at a time. The players we’re focusing on right now may be the ones that become the backbone of our roster for years to come.”