HANSHIN, JAPAN — Pepperdine baseball alum Easton Lucas '19 has signed with the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, announced this week.

Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) is the highest level of baseball in Japan and is widely recognized as the top professional baseball league in Asia alongside the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO). This past season, 60 former Major League Baseball (MLB) and Minor League Baseball were rostered in the NPB.

The Tigers have advanced to three straight Japan Series, the league's version of MLB's World Series, winning the championship in 2023 while being runner-up the past two seasons.

Lucas was selected in the 14th round of the 2019 MLB draft by the Miami Marlins, before making his Major League debut in 2023 with the Oakland Athletics. He spent the past three seasons in the big leagues, splitting time between the Athletics, Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays with 20 appearances altogether. Lucas made five starts for the American League champion Blue Jays in 2025, earning the victory in three of them.

Lucas was an All-WCC honoree as a Wave, making 30 starts with 44 appearances for Pepperdine from 2016-19. His senior campaign saw him toss 76.2 innings with a 3.87 ERA while recording a team-high 71 strikeouts.

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