One of many greatest names in MLB free company has formally chosen his new group.
That will be 23-year-old Japanese beginning pitcher Roki Sasaki, who opted to forgo a extra profitable payday to pursue his MLB ambitions earlier. Based on an announcement on his Instagram web page, Sasaki is joining the Los Angeles Dodgers.
However who’s Sasaki and what ought to baseball followers count on from him? Listed here are 10 issues to know concerning the dynamic right-hander:
1. Roki Sasaki could be the most hyped Japanese prospect to return stateside in years.
This is not an exaggeration. Sasaki is maybe essentially the most coveted prospect to reach from Japan since a minimum of Yu Darvish. And that features the extremely touted arrivals of Dodgers beginning pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani.
“He’s nearly as good as marketed … He has a really perfect projectable, lean and athletic body,” one international scout said about Sasaki. “He has glorious arm motion and supply, with three plus energy pitches with management over command. He has No. 1 [starter] upside.”
2. He drew MLB curiosity in 2019 however determined to affix Nippon Skilled Baseball.
Most Japanese gamers who aspire to pursue baseball professionally sometimes start their careers in Nippon Skilled Baseball (NPB). Sasaki did not wind up turning into an exception, spending his first 4 skilled seasons with NPB’s Chiba Lotte Marines.
Nevertheless, he attracted interest from MLB teams as an novice in 2019.
3. Sasaki has an in depth relationship with San Diego Padres pitcher Yu Darvish.
One of many causes the Padres had been rumored to be finalists for Sasaki is as a result of his mentor and fellow countryman, Yu Darvish, performs in San Diego.
In actual fact, Sasaki even realized his signature wipeout slider from Darvish.
