In what has been a long-speculated move, the Chiba Lotte Marines of the NPB announced on Saturday that they will send 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 combines a triple-digit fastball, a split-fingered fastball and a nasty slider. In 2024, he compiled an overall record of 10-5 with a 2.35 ERA, striking out 129 and walking just 32 in 111 innings pitched.
Throughout his career, Sasaki has a record of 30-15, a 2.02 ERA and a 0.883 WHIP.
At 23, the CBA will classify Sasaki as an “international amateur” and make him available to all 30 teams. While he may not generate the 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 likely to make a strong push.