Pitching Phenom Roki Sasaki Throws First NPB Perfect Game Since 1994

There was history in the Nippon Professional Baseball on Sunday. 

Roki Sasaki, a 20-year-old pitcher for the Chiba Lotte Marines, threw the league’s first perfect game in 28 years.

“This is the greatest,” Sasaki said, according to multiple outlets via ESPN. “Honestly, I wasn't thinking about the possibility [of a perfect game]. I figured it would be OK if I gave up a hit, so I just pitched and put my trust in [catcher Ko] Matsukawa right until the end.”

Sasaki, who is only in his second NPB season with the Marines, accomplished the feat in just his 14th career NPB game. His catcher, Matsukawa, is also young at just 18-years-old, making the combined age of the two less than 40.

Not only did the righty retire every batter he faced, he also struck out 13 straight hitters at one point. He totaled 19 punch-outs overall, setting an NPB record. 

The 13 consecutive strikeouts would have been a record in MLB, where the record is currently 10 and shared between Tom Seaver, Aaron Nola and Corbin Burnes. Additionally, only 11 times has a pitcher struck out 19 batters in an MLB game, with the record currently standing at 21.

Sasaki’s manager, former White Sox second baseman Tadahito Iguchi, praised the right-handers ability to reach the milestone so quickly in his career.

“I figured he’d eventually throw a game like this, but I didn’t think it would be this soon,” Iguchi said.

NPB now has 16 total perfect games in its existence, and only its second since 1978. The last pitcher to throw a perfect game in the league was Hiromi Makihara in 1994 for the Yomiuri Giants. It was also the league’s 94th no-hitter in its history, but the first since August of 2020.