At this moment, Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki is not a well-kept secret. Teams were already well aware of the 22-year-old talent before last year’s World Baseball Classic. However, when he started a game against Mexico with 19 consecutive fastballs clocked at over 100 mph, he became a sensation globally. Yankees The Yankees would like to sign him.
This could happen sooner than the usual waiting period for a Japanese player, as they are typically not offered for bidding by MLB teams until they reach 25. MLB But MLB.com reported that, “Reports from Japan suggest he has a provision in his contract that would require Chiba Lotte to present him upon his request,” although this has not been confirmed by the team. The Yankees, however, are interested in the 6-foot-4 Sasaki. According to a Japanese report translated by SNY’s Andy Martino, both New York teams have scouted Sasaki in Japan. “This article says that the Mets and Yankees were among 8 teams to scout NPB ace Roki Sasaki, according to someone who translated it for me,” Martino wrote on Twitter/X
Yankees Want to Return to the Japanese Market
Acquiring Sasaki would be a major win for the Yankees on multiple levels. If Sasaki is posted, he would have to do so as an amateur and would have to enter MLB on a minor-league contract, with a limit on his bonus. This means he would be an inexpensive addition to the league for three years, and then he would be eligible for a significant pay raise. This was the path Shohei Ohtani took into American baseball in 2017, when he was 23. He received a signing bonus of $2.3 million with the Angels, and earned a total of $1.6 million in salary for his first three seasons combined. Sasaki would be a similar bargain. on Sunday.
The Yankees would also like to re-establish themselves in the Japanese market, where the team has had some successes—outfielder Hideki Matsui and pitcher Masahiro Tanaka—but also some notable failures, like pitchers Hideki Irabu and Kei Igawa.
However, it has been a decade since the Yankees signed Tanaka, their last major acquisition from Japan, and their efforts to sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto last winter were blocked by another team, despite the Yankees offering Yamamoto a deal with a higher annual value and a quicker path to his opt-out year.
Roki Sasaki Has ‘2 Unicorn-Type Pitches’ Sasaki had a 7-4 record with a 1.78 ERA in 2023, and a striking rate of 13.4 per 9 innings. The Yankees are also eager to re-enter the Japanese market, where the team has had successes with outfielder Hideki Matsui and pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, but also some failures with pitchers Hideki Irabu and Kei Igawa.
However, it has been 10 years since the Yankees signed Tanaka, their last major acquisition from Japan, and their attempts to sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto last winter were thwarted by another team, despite the Yankees giving Yamamoto a deal that offered a higher annual value and a faster path to his opt-out year. Roki Sasaki Has ‘2 Unicorn-Type Pitches’
All that is well and good, but the real attraction for Sasaki is his talent. He has unique skills and can dominate with just two pitches, a fastball that consistently exceeds 100 mph and a split-finger pitch that is nearly impossible to hit.
Sports Info Solutions summarized Sasaki’s fastball: “Sasaki’s fastball is one of two unicorn-type pitches for him. The average velocity is hard to match. His four-seamer would have ranked second among qualified starters in MLB last season, behind only Bobby Miller who averaged 99.1 mph on his four-seamer. Sasaki’s fastball has also reached 102.5 mph.” And even though he is still working hard in Japan, SIS writes that there are few pitchers in the world, including in MLB, worth watching more. “There are no weaknesses in his game except for staying healthy and on the mound,” the site’s Brandon Tew reported. “When he’s pitching there’s nobody better than him in NPB and the 22-year-old phenom will likely be the most exciting pitcher to watch come this spring. Dodgers“Regarding his future in Japan and potential move to MLB, that will have to wait for now, but he’s sensational to watch every time he pitches.”
The Yankees have not had much success on the Japanese market recently, but could change that by landing star ‘unicorn’ pitcher Roki Sasaki.
All that is well and good, but the real attraction for Sasaki is his talent. He is equipped with one-of-a-kind stuff, and is able to dominate with just two pitches, a fastball that consistently tops 100 mph and is packed with movement, plus a bottom-out split-finger pitch that is near impossible to hit.
Sports Info Solutions summed up Sasaki’s fastball: “Sasaki’s fastball is one of two unicorn-type pitches for him. The average velocity is hard to match, as his four-seamer would have put him second among qualified starters in MLB last season behind only Bobby Miller who averaged 99.1 mph on his four-seamer last season. Sasaki’s fastball has also touched 102.5 mph.”
And even though he is still toiling in Japan, SIS writes that there are few pitchers in the world, including in MLB, worth watching more.
“There are no flaws in his game other than staying healthy and on the bump,” the site’s Brandon Tew reported. “When he’s pitching there’s nobody better than him in NPB and the 22-year-old phenom will likely be the most exciting pitcher to watch come this spring.
“As for his future in Japan and possible move to MLB, that will have to wait for now, but he’s sensational to watch every time he pitches.”
