Ohtani once eschewed the Dodgers for the Angels, and got stuck in a six-year playoff drought. The Dodgers’ new Japanese rookie phenom Sasaki made a different call.
The Los Angeles Dodgers' newest headline starting pitcher believes he chose the place that can maximize his talent the most. During an introductory
Baseball fans have the same complaint after Japanese star pitcher Rōki Sasaki signed with the star-studded Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Dodgers cemented their status as the preferred MLB destination for NPB stars and transformed their rotation into a Mount Rushmore of Japanese pitching luminaries by winning the Rōki Sasaki sweepstakes.
Sasaki, nicknamed in Japan as "the Monster of the Reiwa Era," struck out 11 batters in 7 and ⅔ innings with a 3.52 ERA during the 2023 WBC. In Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, he struck out 129 hitters in 111 regular-season innings for the Marines in the 2024 season.
The Toronto Blue Jays seemed pretty darn close to signing Shohei Ohtani. In an article written for The Atheltic, Ken Rosenthal not only reported that Rōki
Japanese star Roki Sasaki signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he announced on Instagram. The 23-year-old right-hander with a sizzling fastball and deadly splitter joins Samurai Japan teammates Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto with the World Series champion Dodgers.
Similar to how last winter was defined by the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes ... including Japanese pitcher Rōki Sasaki and slugging first baseman Pete Alonso. And as Soto himself knows, after ...
Rōki Sasaki might be the best free agent still available for MLB. Here is everything to know about the Japanese superstar.
From Shohei Ohtani, Yordan Álvarez and José Ramírez to all those Atlanta Braves, these are baseball's best values and team-friendly signings and extensions.
Rōki Sasaki is a highly talented Japanese pitcher, known for his blazing fastball and devastating slider. He gained major attention in 2022 after throwing a perfect game with 19 strikeouts. Sasaki is regarded as one of Japan's top pitching prospects and has attracted MLB interest.