The Chiba Lotte Marines announced on Saturday that they will allow pitcher Roki Sasaki to move to MLB this winter via the posting system.
“Since I joined the team, the club has continuously listened to me about my future MLB challenge,” Sasaki said in a statement released by the Marines. “I have nothing but gratitude for the team for officially allowing me to be posted at this time.”
The 23-year-old right-hander, dubbed “The Monster of the Reiwa Era,” is viewed as one the best young pitchers in the world.
Sasaki’s fastball has been clocked at 163 kph (101 mph), and he has a devastating splitter. He was on the MLB radar as a high schooler at Ofunato High School in Iwate Prefecture before being drafted by the Marines in 2019.
Sasaki threw the 16th perfect game in NPB history on April 10, 2022, setting an NPB record with 13 consecutive strikeouts and tying the NPB mark with 19 overall against the Orix Buffaloes.
Sasaki was 10-5 with a 2.35 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 111 innings in 2024, posting the first 10-win season of his career. He pitched in Lotte’s playoff opener, striking out nine over eight scoreless innings against the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.
The team did not reveal when it intends to begin the posting process, but Sasaki will be one of the most coveted arms on the market.
“From the time he initially joined the team, we had heard from him that his dream is to play in America,” the Marines said. “Taking the last five years into consideration, we have decided to respect his wishes.”
Sasaki is 29-15 with a 2.10 ERA and 505 strikeouts in 394⅔ career innings in NPB.
