You all know Roki Sasaki, right? The other two-way Japanese superstar who just signed with the World Series champs Dodgers. Yep, Dodgers won both the Sasaki sweepstakes and the trophy. When Roki Sasaki was posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines, there was buzz that all the 30 MLB teams were interested. And why wouldn’t they? 

Money was not an issue here, Sasaki was an amateur international free agent. His salary was capped by the international signing bonus pool. So the factors Sasaki was considering were things like pitching development, the team’s vision for the future, its clubhouse atmosphere, etc. The Dodgers nailed all these points and driving the bus was none other than his Japanese counterpart, Shohei Ohtani. 

On the Dodgers Talk podcast, David Vassegh asked Shohei Ohtani about him texting Andrew Friedman regarding Roki Sasaki and conveying that it was a done deal. Ohtani said, “You know I played with him as a player for WBC Team Japan, so I got to really know him as a as a player and as a friend and you know what I wanted to really tell him was that, you know, regardless of the teams that he that he ends up choosing, I wanted him to be successful, and of course I wanted him to be a Dodger, but first and foremost as a person, as a player, just really rooting for him to be successful.”  

With the Dodgers help and, of course, mentors like Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Sasaki can surely develop into one of the most feared pitchers in baseball. Everyone is excited to see what the 23-year-old will bring on the field. Roki Sasaki has been on MLB radar ever since he shattered Shohei Ohtani’s high school record by reaching 101 mph on his fastball at just 17 years old—an insane feat that left scouts and baseball fans alike in awe. In the 2019 national summer Koshien tournament, Sasaki threw a jaw-dropping 194 pitches over 12 innings, striking out 21 batters. Think about that: 21 Ks in 12 innings, all while barely giving his arm a break. The kind of stuff that has MLB teams drooling over the prospect of this generational talent. 

Roki Sasaki is now a Dodger 

Roki Sasaki, the electric 23-year-old Japanese sensation, announced on Instagram that he’s ready to take his talents to Hollywood. The move itself might not be a huge surprise, given the Dodgers’ track record of landing international stars, but the timing and magnitude of this announcement? Absolutely thrilling. Sasaki, who’s long been regarded as one of the most exciting pitching prospects in the world, will now join forces with fellow Japanese superstars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, forming a new wave of Japanese dominance in Los Angeles.

Sasaki’s decision comes with some serious weight behind it. Despite his young age, he’s already been a pitching phenom in Japan, and now he’s taking his next step in a system that’s become famous for developing stars into legends. The deal? A minor league contract, but with a hefty signing bonus of $6.5 million. While the specifics of when he’ll hit the mound for LA aren’t yet clear, it’s safe to say the anticipation is through the roof. Will he make a big league debut before the season’s out? It’s a question that’ll hang over the Dodger Stadium crowd all year.

For fans of the Dodgers, this move just solidifies their reputation as the team with an eye for international talent. With Ohtani and Yamamoto already aboard, Sasaki’s signing feels like the cherry on top of a championship-caliber roster that’s only going to get better. Get ready for a new chapter in Dodgers history—one that could see them running a “Japanese Dynasty” with Sasaki on the mound, Ohtani smashing bombs, and Yamamoto carving up batters.