The fair-weather fan guide to Roki Sasaki, the Dodgers’ newest prized pitcher

A two-peat is looking that much better for the defending MLB champs Dodgers.

Roki Sasaki, the 23-year-old flamethrower, announced Friday that he's signing with the team.

Who is Roki Sasaki?

The right-handed Japanese pitcher gained international attention in 2023 when he helped Japan win in the World Baseball Classic, alongside MLB superstar teammates Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

In his home country, Sasaki first jumped onto the scene in 2019 when he broke the Japanese high school fastball record, clocking a pitch at 101 mph — breaking Ohtani’s 99 mph record for the fastest pitch thrown by a high schooler.

Soon after, Sasaki made his Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) debut in 2021 playing for the Chiba Lotte Marines. The following year, at the age of 20, Sasaki quickly reached near superstar status in Japan when he pitched the league's first no-hitter game since 1994 — the 16th overall for the league — against the NPB’s Orix Buffaloes. That game saw Sasaki pitch 13 consecutive strikeouts — a Japanese baseball record.

Now, with four years of professional experience under his belt, the young Japanese phenom has turned his attention to the major leagues here in the United States.

The stats

The flamethrower, known for his fastball, slider, and splitter, averages throws near 100 mph — one of the fastest in Japan. During the exhibition games leading up to the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Sasaki shot off  a 102.5 mph fastball, tying Ohtani’s NPB record for fastest pitch. In his four years with the Chiba Lotte Marines, Sasaki has recorded 524 strikeouts, 91 walks in 414 ⅔ innings, and a 2.02 ERA.

Why this all matters

The 23-year-old has often been compared to fellow Japanese national and Dodger’s own superstar Ohtani, and rightfully so.

Sasaki has consistently matched or outperformed Ohtani's own Japanese records. And now that the young pitcher has made it known he plans to enter the MLB, baseball fans are speculating how this might compare with Ohtani’s own journey.

Much like Ohtani back in 2017, Sasaki will be making the move under the age of 25.

That matters, because under NPB rules, players must have nine years of professional experience before they can register as an international free agent. As such, Sasaki will be considered an international amateur free agent. And now that Sasaki reached an agreement with the Dodgers, the NPB’s Chiba Lotte Marines will receive a “release fee” based on the value of his contract. Historically, when players such as Sasaki enter at this stage of their career, it translates to a lower-valued contract, which can often result in more interest and competition between MLB teams.

How we got here

Sasaki’s agent had said the pitcher was in talks with several MLB teams, including the Dodgers. Coming off of their recent World Series win, the L.A. team ended up the op choice for Sasaki. His agent said he was looking to join a team that will help him develop his skills — something that the Dodgers have consistently focused on with its own talent development farm system.

The amateur signing period opened on Jan 15. Sasaki's decision comes well ahead of that period ending on Jan. 23 at 5 p.m. ET.