The Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated their latest stroke of talent Wednesday at Dodger Stadium, officially presenting Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki as a member of the team.
After statements from Dodgers CEO Stan Kasten and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, Sasaki introduced himself through an interpreter before answering questions from the media for the first time as a Dodger.
The main question concerned the influence of the Dodgers’ other Japanese stars, Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, on his decision.
How much influence did Ohtani and Yamamoto play in Sasaki’s decision?
Ohtani is coming off a historic MVP campaign that culminated with his first World Series championship in his first season with the Dodgers. Yamamoto is coming off a solid rookie season (3.00 ERA, 105 K in 90 innings) rebounding from a mid-season injury to earn a victory over the New York Yankees in Game 2 of the World Cup. Series.
Each player went through a similar process when transitioning from Japanese baseball to MLB. Did they influence Sasaki in his decision to join them with the Dodgers? According to Sasaki, this is not the case.
Sasaki told reporters he exchanged texts with the two and they welcomed him when he made his decision. But he decided to join the Dodgers over the Padres, Blue Jays and other suitors, regardless of playing with other Japanese players.
“It was not a priority for me whether or not there was a Japanese player on a team, because I was watching all the teams,” Sasaki said through an interpreter. “Being able to play with Ohtani and Yamamoto, two exceptional players, I’m really looking forward to playing with them.
“And not just them, but the rest of the team, who are also incredibly talented. So I’m hoping and I’m going to work to make sure I can stand alongside them.”
Sasaki said his priority was to join a team and a city that would welcome a Japanese player.
“If there were Japanese players in the team, it was not a priority,” Sasaki continued. “But I wanted to make sure a Japanese player would be well received on the team and in the city.”
Why did Sasaki choose the Dodgers?
After an extensive process that included meetings with several teams, Sasaki said he ultimately concluded that the Dodgers were the best franchise overall in MLB. And he believes in the front office.
“Overall, when I looked at the general consensus, I thought the Dodgers were at the top,” Sasaki said. … “The first thing that stood out was the stability of the front office.”
It is difficult to dispute his conclusion. The Dodgers just won a World Series title and have dominated the offseason with high-profile acquisitions in addition to Sasaki including two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell And Kirby Yates, All-Star reliever. The Dodgers also retained several of their own key players including Teoscar Hernández and Blake Treinen to solidify themselves as favorites to win the World Series again next season.
When will Sasaki debut with the Dodgers?
The question for Sasaki for 2025 is what role will he play in the Dodgers’ quest to repeat. At 23 years old and equipped with a two-length arsenal, Sasaki is not yet a refined MLB product like Yamamoto was last season when he joined the Dodgers at 25 years old.
But his fastball and splitter are considered two of the best pitches in baseball, and it shouldn’t be until the 2025 season before he becomes a member of the rotation, if there is any delay. When he’s ready, he’ll join a rotation that features one of the best upside in MLB history alongside Ohtani, Snell, Yamamoto and All-Star Tyler Glasnow.
Sasaki could play an important role in realizing this advantage. Friedman said Wednesday that Sasaki’s stuff immediately appealed to Dodgers scouts when they first saw him six years ago when he was in high school.
“Even then, his explosive fastball, precise command and balance beyond his years stood out.”
