Japanese pitching star Roki Sasaki is the newest sensation in Major League Baseball after signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, although he was also linked with the Yankees and Padres.
Sasaki’s signing with the reigning MLB champions was a huge surprise, after it was revealed that the Japanese pitcher for the San Diego Padres, Yu Darvish, tried to influence his compatriot’s decision.
What few knew was that Sasaki spoke to Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who convinced him to join the Dodgers.
Sasaki’s fitness could influence the Dodgers
Throughout his career in Japanese baseball, Sasaki has had some injuries that may raise red flags with the Dodgers, after the 2023 season in the Japanese league, Sasaki made just 15 starts due to injury.
The workload with Los Angeles will be greater than in his native Japan, so the question arises as to whether Sasaki will be able to stay in good physical shape throughout a long and grueling MLB season.
“I think he will have control over the number of pitches, they will develop him the same way they would here (in San Diego), so from my point of view I just wish he could do it, stay healthy and get through the season,” Darvish said of his compatriot’s physical condition.
Darvish explained that the Dodgers will try to develop him just as they develop players in the United States, which would benefit Roki Sasaki not only to have a long career in MLB, but also a solid one.
Darvish noted that Sasaki must remain injury-free in order to become a world-class pitcher, due to the great talent he has on the mound, and being surrounded by players such as Ohtani and Yamamoto, will only help him to better adapt to MLB.
Sasaki will be in good company at Dodgers
Sasaki will have top-notch star pitchers around him such as Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow, which will help him get into the swing of things easily. The choice to play for the Dodgers over all the other teams involved shows how good the Dodgers are at developing international talent.
The Japanese pitcher has been simply unstoppable in Japan. He compiled a 2.10 ERA in the minor leagues to professional baseball with 505 strikeouts in 394.2 innings.
His presence will instantly impact the Dodgers pitching staff. Using his skill, he may be able to take the team to new heights. Sasaki’s presence could even catapult the Dodgers rotation into the realm of legends.
Fans are now more than ever anticipating what he would bring to the table for MLB. Adding this to the team, the Dodgers are heading straight to become one of the greatest rotations that has ever existed in baseball.
The Los Angeles team is building a powerful roster with big investments. Fans and critics are comparing them to the New York Yankees of the 1990s, and some have even called the Dodgers the “new Evil Empire”.
General manager Brandon Gomes has not held back in “putting the best team together for the fans.”
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