Sauryn Lao Bio
Sauryn Lao (born August 14, 1999) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher. He currently plays for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan. Lao originally signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016 as an infielder before converting to pitching while moving through the minor leagues. He reached the major leagues in 2025 with the Seattle Mariners and later joined the Washington Nationals before signing in Japan at the end of the same year.
Across his career, Lao has been recognized for his athleticism and adaptability, having played as a middle infielder and outfielder before fully committing to the mound. His journey from a teenage international signee in the Dominican Republic to a big-league reliever highlights his resilience and long-term development within professional baseball organizations.
Early Life and Background
Sauryn Lao was born on August 14, 1999, and grew up in the Dominican Republic, a country with a deep tradition of producing Major League Baseball talent. From an early age, he developed an interest in baseball, participating in local amateur play that eventually attracted the attention of Major League scouts. The Dominican Republic has long served as a primary source of international prospects for MLB clubs, and Lao followed a familiar path into professional baseball as a teenager.
At 16 years old, Lao signed his first professional contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers on October 2, 2015, beginning his career as an infielder. He was part of a large international signing class, joining the Dodgers’ Dominican academy system to begin his development. Like many young Dominican prospects, his first years in professional baseball were spent balancing education with the demands of a competitive training schedule.
Path to Baseball
Lao began his climb through the Los Angeles Dodgers organization in 2016, making his professional debut with the Dominican Summer League Dodgers. He struggled at the plate during his first season, hitting .201 in 50 games, but showed enough promise to return the following year. In 2017, he returned to the DSL Dodgers and improved significantly, slashing .303/.373/.412 with two home runs, 36 RBI, and 19 stolen bases, establishing himself as a young position player to watch within the system.
By 2018, Lao had moved to the rookie-level Arizona League, where he helped the Arizona League Dodgers win a league championship, contributing a two-RBI triple in the final game of the championship series. He continued to progress through the lower minors, reaching the rookie-level Ogden Raptors in 2019, where he hit nine home runs with 45 RBI. The cancellation of the 2020 minor league season due to the COVID-19 pandemic paused his development, but he returned in 2021 with the Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, posting career highs with 11 home runs and 46 RBI. His transition from position player to pitcher began during the 2022 season, setting the stage for a new chapter in his career.
Sauryn Lao Career
Early Career (2016–2021)
Lao spent his first six seasons in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization primarily as an infielder and outfielder. After his debut with the Dominican Summer League Dodgers in 2016, he steadily climbed the minor league ladder, improving his offensive production year by year. His 2017 campaign with the DSL Dodgers marked a clear step forward, and his championship contribution with the Arizona League Dodgers in 2018 demonstrated his ability to perform in high-leverage moments.
By 2019, Lao had reached the rookie-level Ogden Raptors, where he showed increased power with nine home runs and 45 RBI. The 2020 cancellation halted his momentum, but he bounced back in 2021 with the Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, setting career highs in home runs and RBI. The following year, the Dodgers began transitioning him to the mound, a decision that would ultimately reshape his professional trajectory.
Minor League Pitching Transition (2022–2024)
Lao’s conversion to pitching officially began during the 2022 season, though he still played a limited number of games as a position player. In 2023, he made his first full appearances on the mound, splitting the year between the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, Great Lakes Loons, and the Double-A Tulsa Drillers. Across 34 appearances, he posted a 4-0 record and 3.79 ERA with 73 strikeouts over 57 innings, showing immediate promise as a reliever.
He reached Triple-A in 2024 with the Oklahoma City Baseball Club and Tulsa, logging a 3.74 ERA with 54 strikeouts and two saves in 20 relief appearances. Following the season, Lao elected free agency on November 4, 2024, ending his tenure with the Dodgers organization and opening the door to a new opportunity.
MLB Debut and Seattle Mariners (2025)
On December 14, 2024, Lao signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners and began the 2025 season with the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers. His strong performance there led to a promotion to the major leagues on April 20, and he made his MLB debut on April 22 against the Boston Red Sox, striking out three batters and allowing an unearned run in 1⅔ innings. The appearance marked the culmination of nearly a decade of professional development.
The Mariners designated Lao for assignment on April 30, and he cleared waivers before being sent outright to Triple-A on May 2. He returned to the Mariners’ active roster on August 19 and pitched once more, allowing three runs including a home run to Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies. The Mariners designated him for assignment again on September 1, ending his time in Seattle.
Washington Nationals (2025)
On September 3, 2025, the Washington Nationals claimed Lao off waivers, giving him a fresh opportunity in the National League. He pitched in five games for Washington, allowing three runs including a home run to Matt Olson of the Atlanta Braves in 6⅔ innings. On September 20, Lao earned his first MLB win, pitching a scoreless 10th inning in an 11-inning victory over the New York Mets, a milestone moment in his young career.
He closed his first MLB season with a 4.91 ERA, nine strikeouts, and two walks across 11 innings pitched. Between the majors and Triple-A, including stops with the Tacoma Rainiers and the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings, Lao posted a combined 2-4 record with a 3.25 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 74⅔ innings, a strong statistical foundation for a pitcher still early in his mound career.
Notable Events and Milestones
Lao’s most significant career milestone came on September 20, 2025, when he recorded his first MLB win with the Washington Nationals against the New York Mets. His MLB debut on April 22, 2025, with the Seattle Mariners marked the realization of a long journey from a teenage international signee to a major league pitcher. His championship contribution with the Arizona League Dodgers in 2018 also remains a defining moment from his early professional career.
Sauryn Lao Career Wins
Sauryn Lao’s career win total is anchored by his first MLB victory in 2025, along with several minor league wins during his development years. The majority of his documented victories came during the 2023 season, when he posted a 4-0 record across three Dodgers affiliates.
Minor League and MLB Highlights
During his 2023 transition to pitching, Lao went 4-0 with a 3.79 ERA in 34 appearances split between Rancho Cucamonga, Great Lakes, and Tulsa. In 2024, he added two saves at the Triple-A level with Oklahoma City and Tulsa. His first MLB win came on September 20, 2025, with the Washington Nationals, pitching a scoreless 10th inning in an 11-inning victory over the New York Mets.
Sauryn Lao Family
Personal Life
Publicly available information about Sauryn Lao’s personal and family life is limited. He was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and began his professional baseball journey as a teenager with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. Further details about his family, marital status, or residence have not been publicly confirmed.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season was a breakthrough year for Sauryn Lao, as he made his MLB debut and earned his first major league win. He began the year with the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers before receiving his first call-up to the Seattle Mariners in April. After brief stints in Seattle, he spent much of the season bouncing between the Mariners, the Tacoma Rainiers, and later the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings following his move to the Washington Nationals.
Across all levels in 2025, Lao posted a combined 2-4 record with a 3.25 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 74⅔ innings, including 11 innings in the major leagues. His late-season addition to the Washington Nationals provided him with a more stable role, and his first MLB win against the New York Mets on September 20 highlighted his potential as a late-inning reliever.
Following the conclusion of the 2025 MLB season, Lao signed with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball on December 18, 2025, beginning the next phase of his professional career in Japan. The move to NPB represents an opportunity for Lao to take on a larger role with a foreign club and continue building on the progress he showed in 2025.