Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto signed a record MLB contract this offseason, but another star pitcher may not be far away from following his path.
Roki Sasaki, a 22-year-old star pitcher for the Lotte Marines, indicated Saturday that he envisions ultimately playing in the United States. He was not prepared to offer a timeline for when he might make the jump, however.
“I have the desire to play in the U.S. major leagues in the future,” Sasaki said Saturday as transcribed by Japan’s Kyodo news agency, via Stephen Wade of the Associated Press. “I’ve been communicating every year. I believe the club (Lotte) understands it too.”
Sasaki offered no clue as to when he might try to make the move, however, saying that he is only focused on the upcoming season in Japan.
Yamamoto dominated the pitching market this offseason in MLB and eventually signed a record contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Sasaki, however, is viewed as an even better prospect than Yamamoto, and is already the youngest player ever to throw a perfect game in Japan. There has been speculation that he could look to make the move to the United States after the 2024 season, but those are simply rumors at this stage.
In three NPB seasons, Sasaki has an ERA of 2.00 with 376 strikeouts in 283.2 innings. He may be poised to receive a record deal of his own whenever he does make the jump.
