Superstar Japanese ace Roki Sasaki headed to MLB in 2025

Mar 20, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Japan starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (14) delivers a pitch during the first inning against Mexico at LoanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

In what has been a long speculated move, the Chiba Lotte Marines of the NPB announced on Saturday that they will post superstar pitcher Roki Sasaki to Major League Baseball.

“Since I joined (the Marines), I have continued to listen to my future MLB challenges, and I am grateful to the team for officially allowing me to post. My five years with the Marines did not go well,” Sasaki said of his posting, via MLB.com.

“There were a lot of things that happened, but I was able to get to this point by focusing solely on baseball, with the support of my teammates, staff, front office, and fans, so I don’t have any regrets in my baseball career.”

Nicknamed “The Monster of the Reiwa Era,” Sasaki features a triple-digit fastball and combines that with a split-fingered fastball and a nasty slider. In 2024, he compiled an overall record of 10-5 with a 2.35 ERA while striking out 129 and walking just 32 in 111.0 innings pitches.

Over the course of his career, Sasaki has a record of 30-15 with an ERA of 2.02 and a WHIP of 0.883.

At the age of just 23, the CBA will classify Sasaki as an “international amateur” and he will be made available to all 30 teams. And while he may not generate the sort of hype (or contract) as Shohei Ohtani or Yoshinobu Yamamoto did before him, there is expected to be stiff competition for Sasaki’s services.

Once officially posted, Sasaki will have 45 days to sign with an MLB team. The Los Angeles Dodgers are considered strong early favorites, but teams such as the New York Yankees, New York Mets, and Los Angeles Angels are also likely to make a strong push.