Roki Sasaki just showed everyone why the Dodgers were so excited to sign him. The 23-year-old Japanese pitching sensation made his spring training debut Tuesday night, and he didn’t disappoint.
Coming in after fellow Japanese star Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Sasaki dominated through three shutout innings against the Reds. He struck out five batters and only gave up two hits.
But it’s how he did it that had fans buzzing.
His fastball was electric, averaging 98 mph and touching 99.3 mph. Even more impressive? His splitter was nearly unhittable – batters swung at it eight times and missed seven of them.
“98 MPH filth,” MLB’s official Twitter account posted, sharing a video of one of Sasaki’s nastiest pitches.
By the time he left the game, Sasaki had thrown the four fastest pitches of the night from either team. Not bad for his first time facing MLB hitters.
If you’re wondering why there’s so much excitement around this kid, here’s why: Back in Japan, he threw a perfect game in 2022 when he was just 20 years old, striking out 19 batters. That’s when baseball fans worldwide started paying attention.
Over his four seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines, he was practically untouchable, posting a 2.02 ERA.
The timing of his debut couldn’t be better. Sasaki’s scheduled to make his first regular-season start on March 19 in Tokyo against the Cubs – a homecoming that’s sure to be electric. Yamamoto will start the first game of that series, though fans won’t see Shohei Ohtani pitch until May as he recovers from elbow surgery.
The Dodgers haven’t just been busy signing Japanese stars. They’ve been loading up their roster all winter, adding two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell, outfielder Michael Conforto, and several other key players. They’re clearly going all-in to defend their World Series title.
But right now, all eyes are on Sasaki. If his spring training debut is any indication, the Dodgers might have found their next pitching superstar.
