Roki Sasaki, a 23-year-old pitching sensation from Japan, has signed with the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, according to an announcement on his Instagram page. According to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez, the Dodgers will pay Sasaki $6.5 million.
Sasaki was one of the top free agents on the market this offseason, aside from Juan Soto, who signed with the New York Mets, and there was fierce rivalry for his services.
The Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, and San Diego Padres were thought to be the final three teams. Other teams, including the Mets, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, San Francisco Giants, and New York Yankees, expressed interest in Sasaki but were not among the final contenders for his services.
The pitcher described it as a “very difficult decision,” but he will do his best to make the correct decision when he looks back on his baseball career.
Sasaki is the third prominent Japanese baseball star to join with the Dodgers in the last two seasons. He will now play alongside fellow pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto and two-way player and National League MVP Shohei Ohtani.
Sasaki joins the Dodgers’ already potent starting rotation, which features Ohtani, Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, and Bobby Miller.
Sasaki is most known for his searing fastball, which can reach 102.5 mph (165 kph). He also throws a curveball, a splitter, and a slider.
Sasaki’s best game occurred on April 10, 2022, when he pitched a perfect game while setting the Nippon Professional Baseball record for the most strikeouts in a game (19) and a world record for consecutive strikeouts (13).
The Chiba Lotte Marines selected him first overall in the 2019 NPB Draft, however he did not make his professional debut until the 2020 season.
During his NPB career, he went 29-15 with a 2.10 ERA and 505 strikeouts.
Born in 2001, Sasaki’s family lost their home in the tsunami caused by the 2011 Japanese earthquakes. His father and grandparents died in the storm, and Sasaki, his mother, and his two brothers spent time in a nursing facility while the neighborhood healed.
Sasaki smashed the Japanese high school baseball record for pitch velocity, which Ohtani had set.
With the signing of Sasaki, the Dodgers’ 2025 roster has the potential to be the most talented in baseball history.
Los Angeles defeated the New York Yankees in the World Series in five games this season, coming back from a 5-0 hole in the final game.
