Pitcher Roki Sasaki (14) - picture courtesy Getty Images
The next superstar imported from Japan has arrived in the U.S., ready to live his dream of pitching in the MLB.
The MLB pitcher is ready to take his talents to the MLB and showcase himself as another flamethrowing arm.
Who is this New MLB Pitcher?
Roki Sasaki is a 6’4″ righty who lives and dies by the hard-throwing fastball.
His velocity can reach 101+ mph, and he is improving his movement on the fastball as well.
Additionally, he is the next in line of native Japanese pitchers to enter the MLB pipeline and become a superstar for years to come.
He could join previous names such as Hideki Matsui, Ichiro Suzuki, Shohei Ohtani, etc.
Wasserman business manager Joel Wolfe is likely going to represent Sasaki. He also represents others, such as Yu Darvish, Kodai Senga, Giancarlo Stanton, and Nolan Arenado.
Career Origins
The talented athlete selected in the 2019 NPB draft by the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan burst onto the scene. In high school, his fastball surpassed Ohtani’s high school record of 99 in 2012.
In only four years in the NPB, the tall flamethrower had a 29-15 record, 505 strikeouts, and an ERA of 2.10.
Therefore, being selected twice to the NPB All-Star game in 2022 and 2023 was a credit to his hard work.
2024 was a down year, but Roki still had a respectable 10-5 win-loss record, delivering 129 strikeouts and a 2.35 ERA in 18 starts in Chiba.
Brief Records
In his brief stint in Japan, the ace pitcher made history by pitching a perfect game on April 10, 2022.
With his Chiba squad defeating the Orix Buffaloes 6-0, he knotted Koji Noda’s 19 strikeouts in a game which equaled an NPB record.
He then set a new league mark with 13 straight strikeouts, surpassing Aaron Nola, Tom Seaver, and Corbin Burnes’ ten straight.
In addition, it marked the 16th perfect game in NPB history and the first since Hiromi Makihara in 1994.
The 23-year-old followed up his next outing with eight perfect innings and fanned 14 batters against the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters on April 17.
However, after hurling 102 pitches, he was pulled in the ninth inning to protect his arm.
World Baseball Classic
Sasaki was on a loaded pitching rotation for the Japanese team at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
It included Ohtani, Yamamoto, Darvish, and Shota Imanaga.
Together, this pitching staff shut down its hitters on their way to a 3-2 win in the Gold Medal game over Team USA.
Sasaki threw in a win 10-2 over the Czech Republic and a 6-5 win over Mexico. He was 1-0 for the tournament with a 3.52 ERA and 11 fanned hitters.
Pitching Stamina
Sasaki pitches with speed and power that could make him a nightmare to hit off of in the MLB.
On April 28, 2023, he threw four pitches topping at 102.5 mph, tying Ohtani for the quickest pitches in the NPB.
Additionally, he boasts an 88.2 mph splitter and 83.6 slider. His four-seam fastball averages 96.8 mph per contest.
Sasaki has a multifaceted arm and has the potential to break out as the next great Japanese arm in the MLB next season.
What MLB Teams are Interested in Sasaki?
The future MLB Pitcher has been scouted aggressively by the Mets, Yankees, and Cubs. This is even after betting it will be between the Dodgers and the Padres.
However, money will not be a component with Sasaki as his achieving possibilities will be capped due to his age.
Therefore, if he is posted after December 15, his greatest bonus would be slightly over $7.5 million.
It will be interesting to see which MLB team is lucky enough to scoop him up and welcome him to their MLB roster.
