Roki Sasaki, a 23-year-old pitching phenom from Japan, has signed with the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, according to an announcement on the player's Instagram page.
Sasaki was one of the top free agents on the market this offseason, aside from Juan Soto, who signed with the New York Mets, and there had been intense competition for his signature.
The finalists were believed to be the Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays and San Diego Padres.
Other teams, such as the Mets, Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, showed interest in Sasaki, but they were not among the last teams to compete for his services.
Sasaki becomes the third major Japanese baseball star to sign with the Dodgers in the last two seasons. He will now join fellow pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto and two-way player and National League MVP Shohei Ohtani.
The addition of Sasaki already adds to the Dodgers' powerful starting rotation, which includes the arms of Ohtani, Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and Bobby Miller.
23-year-old Japanese pitching phenom Roki Sasaki signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers
He is the third Japanese free agent to sign there in the last two seasons, joining star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (left) and National League MVP Shohei Ohtani (right).
Sasaki is known for his blistering fastball, which tops out at 165 km/h (102.5 mph). He also throws a hairpin ball, a curveball and a slider.
The best game he ever pitched came on April 10, 2022, when Sasaki pitched a perfect game and set the Nippon Professional Baseball record for most strikeouts in a game (19) and set a world record for most strikeouts. consecutive (13).
He was selected first overall in the 2019 NPB Draft by the Chiba Lotte Marines, but did not make his first appearance until the 2020 season.
Over the course of his NPB career, he compiled a lifetime record of 29-15 with a 2.10 ERA and 505 strikeouts.
Born in 2001, Sasaki's family lost their home in the tsunami that resulted from the 2011 Japanese earthquakes. Her father and grandparents died in the storm, while Sasaki, her mother and two brothers lived in a nursing home while The area was recovering.
In high school, Sasaki broke the pitch velocity record set by Ohtani in Japanese high school baseball.
The addition of Sasaki makes the 2025 Dodgers potentially the most talented baseball roster in the history of the game.
Los Angeles won the World Series in five games last season over the New York Yankees, winning the decisive final game by overcoming a 5-0 deficit.