Roki Sasaki, a 23-year-old pitcher for the Chiba Lotte Marines, has officially been posted for Major League Baseball (MLB), making him available to all 30 MLB teams. This marks a significant step in Sasaki’s career, as he is considered one of the most talented pitchers in the world. Sasaki expressed his gratitude to the Marines, reflecting on his five years with the team and acknowledging the support from teammates, staff, and fans. He is focused on becoming the best player in the world, vowing to live up to the expectations of those who have supported him.
Sasaki is known for his blazing fastball that can reach triple digits, complemented by a split-fingered fastball and a slider. However, because of his age, Sasaki is considered an international amateur free agent, meaning he can only sign a minor league contract with MLB teams. This limits the financial upside for both Sasaki and the Chiba Lotte Marines, as the posting fee is capped at 20%. Had Sasaki waited until he turned 25, he would have been able to secure a major league contract, similar to other top international players like Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
By posting Sasaki now, he risks leaving significant money on the table. If he had stayed in Japan for a few more years, Sasaki could have commanded a contract worth hundreds of millions of dollars, like Yamamoto’s recent $325 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Instead, Sasaki is following a similar trajectory to Shohei Ohtani, who joined MLB at 23 for a much smaller contract. The timing of his posting will determine if he falls into the 2024 or 2025 international signing class, with a 45-day window to sign once posted.
The structure of MLB’s international amateur bonus pools will play a role in Sasaki’s recruitment. The top teams can spend over $7 million on international players, while others have smaller pools. However, teams can trade for bonus pool space or adjust their commitments, especially if Sasaki is posted closer to the 2025 signing period. This could influence which teams are in the best position to pursue him, though many clubs are expected to make strong appeals.
Sasaki’s rise to stardom began during the Koshien High School tournament, where he dazzled with a remarkable performance. His professional career has been equally impressive, including a perfect game with 19 strikeouts in 2022, and a World Baseball Classic appearance in 2023 where he averaged 100.5 mph on his fastball. Despite a request to join MLB after the 2023 season being denied, the inevitability of his move to the major leagues has been clear.
In his four seasons with Chiba Lotte, Sasaki has posted stellar statistics, including a 2.10 ERA and 505 strikeouts in 394⅔ innings. However, his résumé is less extensive compared to other recent Japanese MLB stars like Ohtani and Yamamoto. While Sasaki has the potential to be a top-tier MLB pitcher, his limited track record may make some teams cautious. Despite this, his exceptional talent and the success of other Japanese players in MLB will make him a highly sought-after prospect.
Several MLB teams are expected to vie for Sasaki’s services, with the Los Angeles Dodgers often mentioned as a frontrunner. Other teams, including the San Diego Padres, New York Mets, and New York Yankees, are also showing interest. Sasaki’s connection to Yu Darvish, a fellow Japanese pitcher, could make the Padres a strong candidate. Additionally, teams with a history of success with Japanese players, such as the Texas Rangers, could also be in the mix.
Sasaki’s durability remains one of the few question marks surrounding his game. He has never exceeded 129⅓ innings in a season, and injuries in 2023 kept him sidelined for part of the year. Despite this, his fastball velocity and his splitter—one of the best in the game—make him a potential game-changer in MLB. His posting will be one of the most intriguing storylines of the offseason, adding another layer of excitement to an already thrilling free agency period that includes stars like Juan Soto and Corbin Burnes.
