Who is Rōki Sasaki? Meet Japan’s pitching sensation set to become World Baseball Classic star

Abraham Smith

Japan enters this year’s World Baseball Classic with one of the most exciting rosters of any country. While Shohei Ohtani’s name will always jump off the page, there’s another pitcher on the list that baseball fans have been dying to see ever since stories of his dominance became international news: 21-year-old Chiba Lotte Marines right-hander Rōki Sasaki.

Sasaki is building a Wilt Chamberlain-like legend in the United States, where some of his conquests seem too incredible to believe. However, the statistics are there. you are real And they are absolutely dominant.

Sasaki was a clear first pick in the 2019 NPB draft, with four teams vying for him. The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, Saitama Seibu Lions and Marines all submitted controversial picks for Sasaki. Ultimately, the Marines won the right to negotiate a treaty. Chiba Lotte rested Sasaki in the 2020 season after granting him a 100 million yen (about US$700,000) signing bonus.

The pitcher’s debut came in 2021 and he finished his rookie season with a 4-2 record in the Japan Eastern League and Japan Pacific League with a 1.84 ERA and 87 strikeouts on 19 walks.

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In 2022, Sasaki began building his myth. He threw a perfect game against the Orix Buffaloes on April 10, 2022 with 19 strikeouts, tying the NPB record previously set by Koji Noda. He once fanned out 13 straight batters, breaking the baseball world record previously held by Corbin Burnes, Aaron Nola and Tom Seaver in MLB. On his next start, Sasaki drove eight perfect innings against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters before being pulled to rest his arm.

It’s quite a resume for someone so young. Here’s a look at one of the potential breakout stars of the 2023 World Baseball Classic:

How old is Roki Sasaki?

Sasaki was born on November 3, 2001 and is dominating at just 21 years old. He was drafted by Chiba Lotte when he was 18.

Sasaki finishes 21st at the World Baseball Classic this year.

Sasaki was looked at by MLB teams when he was in high school before signing with the Marines. He lost his home, father and grandparents in the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011.

“It’s been 11 years, but I can’t just erase the anguish and sadness I felt then,” Sasaki said in 2022, per The Guardian. “Thanks to the support I had, I was able to devote myself to baseball. I just have feelings of gratitude to those who have supported me.”

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Did Rōki Sasaki play the best perfect game ever?

Mileage, of course, depends on whether or not Sasaki pitched the best baseball game ever. But his April 10, 2022 performance against Orix needs to be discussed.

Sasaki threw a perfect game against the Buffaloes, hitting 19 batters, including 13 in a row. He finished the first inning by knocking out current Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida and went on to beat the team in the second, third and fourth innings.

Thirteen different players appeared for the Buffaloes, and Sasaki recorded at least one strikeout on eleven of them. Of the nine players who took multiple bats, Sasaki hit five of them multiple times.

By the end of the game, Sasaki had beaten 70 percent of the batters he faced. It was the first perfect play NPB had seen since 1994, and Sasaki became the youngest player to record a perfect play in NPB history at 20 years and five months.

“That’s the biggest thing,” Sasaki said of the game afterward, per ESPN. “Honestly, I didn’t think about the possibility. I figured it would be okay if I gave up a shot, so I just served and trusted (catcher Kō) Matsukawa to the end.”

The hype surrounding Sasaki rose to almost unbelievable levels after the game.

“I think Sasaki definitely outperformed (Shohei) Ohtani for a short time, especially because he came so close to another perfect game in his next start,” Japan Times’ Jason Coskrey said last year, per The Ringer.

How did Rōki Sasaki throw almost two perfect games in a row?

Sasaki flirted with perfection in his next start with Chiba Lotte, this time against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.

The right-hander hit 24 batters in eight innings and knocked out 14 of them, again staying perfect throughout.

However, Sasaki was on 102 pitches by the end of the eighth inning and was taken out of the game to rest his arm in a 1–0 game.

Chiba Lotte lost 1-0 in 10 innings, but Sasaki’s dominance became legendary. He had retired 52 straight batters and completed 17 perfect innings. This streak ended on the first pitch he threw on his next start.

“It was so exciting, words fail me. Our guys just persevered, and we kept saying on the bench, let’s get something going,” Hokkaido outfielder Chusei Mannami, who hit the game-winning home run, said after the game, per CBS Sports. “(Sasaki) is just too hard. The way the fork ball falls? Forget it.”

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Roki Sasaki 2022 Stats

Sasaki finished his second season with the Marines 9-4 and had a 2.02 ERA.

He hit 173 batters and went 23 pitched in 129 1/3 innings.

Height and weight of Rōki Sasaki

Sasaki is 6ft 3 tall and weighs 203 pounds, according to the NPB website.

What pitches does Rōki Sasaki throw?

Sasaki has a fastball splinter combo that has proven deadly in NPB.

His fastball tops out at 103 mph, and CBS Sports said Sasaki’s fastball averaged 99.5 mph in his perfect game against the Buffaloes. It also had 19.8 inches of vertical break and 15.4 inches of horizontal break.

Sasaki also has a wipeout splitter that averages 91.2 mph with 2.3 inches of vertical and 7.8 inches of horizontal break. Its splitter is also called a forkball.

His shatter and fastball have an almost imperceptible trigger point. This is what they look like.

His stuff obviously hasn’t diminished in 2023.

Will Rōki Sasaki join MLB?

Does all this sound enticing to MLB fans? It definitely should. But don’t expect to see Sasaki in the United States anytime soon.

NPB’s deployment rules are complicated, but in short, Sasaki won’t become an international free agent until he’s played for the Marines for nine years.

Sasaki can request a transfer when he is 25 years old or has six years of Marine experience.

As exciting as the prospect of seeing Sasaki throw in MLB is, it won’t be happening any time soon, probably until 2027, unless he decides to try and come early. In the meantime, all eyes will be on the Marines as Sasaki continues to grow and improve as a pitcher.

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