Will Roki Sasaki take on the major leagues in 2025? Which team will he go to? We will introduce the candidates. It is expected that he will transfer using the posting system, and if the negotiations are concluded, it is possible that a decision will be made within this year.
Who is Roki Sasaki?
Roki Sasaki is a Japanese professional baseball player and pitcher for the Chiba Lotte Marines. He is particularly known for his fastball and high strikeout ability, and has been attracting attention in the Japanese baseball world at a young age. Sasaki has been dubbed the “Reiwa Monster” and has been a hot topic even before he turned pro, with his fastball exceeding 160 km/h and excellent control.
Profile of Roki Sasaki
- Date of birth: November 3, 2001
- Birthplace: Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture
- Position: Pitcher
- Affiliation: Chiba Lotte Marines (joined as first pick in the 2019 NPB draft)
Career and characteristics
High school years:
From Ofunato High School in Iwate Prefecture. His fastball attracted attention from his high school days, and although he did not make it to Koshien, his ability was recognized nationwide.
He was selected first by the Chiba Lotte Marines in the 2019 draft and turned professional.
After turning professional:
In his first year as a professional (2020), he prioritized improving his physical strength, and his opportunities to pitch were limited. However, from 2021, he began pitching in the first team in earnest, and attracted a lot of attention with his fastball and breaking balls (especially sliders and forks).
Achieving a perfect game:
On April 10, 2022, Sasaki achieved a perfect game against Orix. This is the 16th feat in professional baseball history, and the youngest to achieve this at 21 years old. In particular, he recorded 19 strikeouts in this game, putting on a spectacular performance. This record became a hot topic not only in Japan but also overseas.
Pitching style:
Sasaki’s weapons are his fastball, which exceeds 160 km/h, as well as his well-controlled curveballs (slider, fork, etc.). He also has a very smooth pitching form and is good at varying the speed of his pitches to the batter.
Expectations for the future:
Sasaki Roki is expected to continue to grow as a top pitcher in Japanese baseball. He has especially been attracting attention from Major League scouts, and there is talk of the possibility of him moving to the majors in the future.
Sasaki is a young pitcher who will continue to lead the Japanese professional baseball world with his overwhelming talent and hard work, and is one to watch.
What is the posting system?
The “posting (posting system)” is a system mainly used when players from the Japanese professional baseball (NPB) transfer to Major League Baseball (MLB). This is a system in which if a player wants to transfer from NPB to MLB, the NPB team “posts” the player, and the MLB team bids and negotiates to acquire the player.
Main flow of the posting system:
Posting application by NPB team: NPB teams decide whether to post a player to MLB. Even if the player himself wants to challenge MLB, the team’s approval is required.
Bidding from MLB team: When an NPB team posts a player, the MLB team bids on the player and pays a “posting fee” to obtain negotiation rights. This amount varies depending on the player’s annual salary and contract amount.
Negotiations and contract: MLB teams that successfully bid will negotiate a contract with the player. If the negotiations are successful, the MLB team can acquire the player. If negotiations fail, the player will remain in NPB.
Benefits and Purpose:
Career Opportunities for Players: For NPB players, it is one way to play on the world’s highest stage, the Major Leagues.
Financial Benefits for NPB Teams: By transferring to MLB, NPB teams can receive posting fees, so it is also beneficial for the team.
Notable players who have used this system to transfer to the Major Leagues include Ichiro (formerly of the Seattle Mariners), Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Angels), and Yu Darvish (San Diego Padres).
Who are the leading candidates?
Who are the leading candidates? The following three are mainly mentioned. Of course, it will depend on future negotiations. It is said that Sasaki will transfer using the posting system explained above.
ロッテの佐々木朗希投手（22）が今オフにポスティングシステムでメジャー挑戦する可能性が高いことが14日、分かった。5年目の今季はプロ入り最多の10勝を挙げ、日本ハムとのクライマックスシリーズ（CS）ファーストステージでは第1戦でポストシーズン初勝利を挙げた。CS敗退でシーズンを終了。今後の話し合いが注目されるが、一定の成績を収めたことで球団は容認することについて検討していく。
引用：Yahoo
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are the top candidate. This is because scouts have already come to watch them. With Otani and Yamamoto already there, there is the advantage that they will receive support from Japanese players and it will be very easy to play there.
New York Mets
Senga is already playing for the New York Mets, so like the Dodgers above, there is a chance to play in a similar environment, so the hurdle is relatively low.
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are suffering from a lack of talent, and it is said that they will make a large number of reinforcements locally. This means that there is a chance to transfer at this time.
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