Dodgers land Rōki Sasaki, Japanese pitcher known for throwing 102 mph

The Los Angeles Dodgers appear to have landed yet another high-profile Japanese star.

Flamethrowing right-hander Rōki Sasaki announced on Instagram that he is joining the Dodgers.

Sasaki, 23, will join 3-time MVP Shohei Ohtani and fellow Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The trio were teammates on the Samurai Japan team that won the gold medal in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Sasaki made global headlines for his pitches exceeding 102 mph on the radar gun before and during the WBC tournament. During the tournament's semifinals, Sasaki struck out Mexico's Randy Arozarena with a 102-mph heater.

Sasaki, nicknamed in Japan as "the Monster of the Reiwa Era," struck out 11 batters in 7 and ⅔ innings with a 3.52 ERA during the 2023 WBC. In Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, he struck out 129 hitters in 111 regular-season innings for the Marines in the 2024 season.

Sasaki also made headlines for throwing a perfect game for the Marines in 2022 as a 20-year-old.

If all goes well in the signing process and Spring Training, Sasaki’s MLB debut could take place in the Tokyo Dome as the Boys in Blue will face the Chicago Cubs – a team with former Samurai Japan teammates Shōta Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki – in March of the upcoming season.

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