Dodgers' Roki Sasaki Wants to Make MLB History for Japanese Pitcher

When Roki Sasaki was posted by his NPB team, the Chiba Lotte Marines, he was already regarded as one of the most talented young pitchers in the world. The Sasaki sweepstakes featured several reports regarding the Japanese phenom's potential.

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Would Sasaki blossom in MLB? That is certainly his goal, as his agent Joel Wolfe of Wasserman shared at the Winter Meetings.

"Roki is by no means a finished product," Wolfe said. "He knows it, and the teams know it. He's incredibly talented; we all know that. But he is a guy that wants to be great. He's not coming here just to be rich or get a huge contract. He wants to be great. He wants to be one of the greatest ever. I see that now, and he's articulated it. And to be that, he knows he has to challenge himself."

Sasaki was considered the crown jewel of the 2024-25 international signing class, and for good reason. The 23-year-old pitcher has the potential to become the greatest pitcher from Japan.

At his introductory press conference on Wednesday, Sasaki explained why he chose the Los Angeles Dodgers over other teams, saying it was "purely based on where I can grow as a player the most."

Sasaki has already set the mark for himself as he joins stateside baseball. He wants to be the first Japanese pitcher to win a Cy Young award.

Roki Sasaki's goal is to be the first Japanese pitcher to win a Cy Young.
— Doug McKain (@DMAC_LA) January 22, 2025

With his goal in mind, Sasaki believed the Dodgers would be the best organization to help him achieve the milestone.

"I had the opportunity to speak to a lot of teams, and they had a lot of appealing features," said Sasaki. "But overall when I looked at the general consensus, I thought that the Dodgers were at the top."

Not only does Sasaki believe he can reach such heights, but president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has also spoken about the talent of Sasaki.

“Even then, his explosive fastball, pinpoint command and poise beyond his years stood out,” Friedman said. “Roki has gone on to set records. He has made an indelible mark on the international stage. And we couldn’t be more excited about this partnership with him.”

By winning a Cy Young, Sasaki would cement his name in MLB history.

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