Major League Baseball fans continue to marvel
at the day-to-day exploits of Japanese two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani of the LA Angels. Well, believe it or not, there's already another
next big thing emerging in Japanese baseball. He is a 20-year-old pitcher name Roki Sasaki
whose feats have stunned the baseball world in his young career. In this video, we will look at the top 7 things
to know about the young Japanese phenom.
Number 8-Overcoming Tragedy
Roki has traveled a difficult road to stardom. Sasaki grew up in the Iwate Prefecture region
in Japan but in 2011 the area suffered a massive earthquake. The resulting tsunami swept away his house. His father and grandparents died, and Sasaki,
his mother, and his two brothers had to live in a nursing home during his recovery. Eventually, his mother and his siblings were
relocated from Iwate to a temporary home about 12 miles north in Ofunato, where they lived
until 2017.
It was on a makeshift field at Ofunato Middle
School, an emergency shelter for tsunami victims, where Sasaki found joy and inspiration in
baseball. Training conditions were less than ideal,
with limited space to practice because temporary housing lined the school grounds. However, Sasaki was determined to persevere
in the face of this tragedy. He stated in a press conference, “eleven
years have passed, but the hardships and sadness I felt then have still not disappeared,”
Sasaki said at a news conference on the 11th anniversary of the tragedy. “And it is thanks to support from all around
that I have been able to focus on baseball under those circumstances. … Don’t take what’s in front of you
and the important people in your life for granted.” Yes, in the face of tragedy Roki showed that
through determination and support we shall overcome.
Number 7-Nearly Two perfect Games
On April 10, 2022, Sasaki pitched a perfect game against the Orix Buffaloes. It was the 16th perfect game in NPB history
and the first since Hiromi Makihara's perfect game in 1994. It was also the 94th no-hitter in NPB history,
the first since August 15, 2020. Roki’s performance was incredible because
it tied the NPB record set by Koji Noda for total strikeouts in one game with 19. In MLB, Matt Cain (2012) and Sandy Koufax
(1965) hold the record for strikeouts in a perfect game at 14. The performance also set a new NPB record
for consecutive strikeouts, having struck out 13 batters in a row. It also became the world record, beating out
the 10 consecutive strikeouts achieved in MLB by Corbin Burnes, Tom Seaver, and Aaron
Nola. Sasaki needed only 105 pitches to retire all
27 batters, even with the 19 strikeouts.
He averaged 3.9 pitches per batter. One Word-Dominant! In his next start, on April 17, Sasaki pitched
eight perfect innings against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, before getting taken
out from the game before the ninth inning by manager Tadahito Iguchi to protect Sasaki's
health. It was a controversial move despite the criticism
in protecting the young pitcher from long-term injury. Roki recorded 14 strikeouts on 102 pitches,
including striking out the side in the eighth inning with a 101-mph fastball. Sasaki finished the outing retiring 52 consecutive
batters, setting an NPB record. The MLB record for retiring consecutive batters
is 46 by Yusmeiro Petit. Ironically, Sasaki allowed a hit on the first
pitch that he threw in his next game on April 24, and the streak was over. It was about time, right? This unbelievable stretch opened the eyes
of every MLB scout in Japan, and Roki is the kid to get! Number 6-Rave Reviews and Popularity. After the perfect game performance, Roki received
commendation and rave reviews from current MLB players. For instance, Toronto Blue Jays lefty Yusei
Kikuchi stated, "He is now the best pitcher in Japan". Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Yoshitomo Tsutsugo
also said, "If we see more players like him it would bring excitement to Japanese baseball." Also, Chicago Cubs rookie Seiya Suzuki was
impressed in stating, “He's still young, but he's got speed and amazing sliders, forkballs,
and curveballs." Roki also was praised by another former Japanese
MLB pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, who pitched for the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets before
returning to Japan and retiring in 2021.
“It was beyond what I imagined. I was really stunned,” Matsuzaka said after
the two met in February, complimenting Sasaki’s control of his fastball. Roki is so popular in Japan that this summer,
he was ranked first by fans in NPB all-star voting. Yes, Sasaki has earned the respect of his
Japanese peers and is a man of the people because of his fantastic abilities! Number 5 – Nickname-Because of his tremendous
talent from an early age Roki earned the nickname The Monster of the Reiwa. Why? Sasaki threw a pitch clocked at 163 kilometers
per hour (101 mph) during his senior year at Ofunato High School in 2019. Yes, triple digits in High School that really
made him a monster! Scary good! Number 4-Destroying batters in Japan
Once Sasaki arrived in the Japanese pro leagues, he began to destroy batters in the competition
right away. In his first season, 2021, he posted a 1.84
ERA across 83.1 innings. Roki fanned 87 batters, walked only 19, gave
up only 61 hits, and surrendered just six home runs.
By comparison, to help us understand how good
he has been, in his last full year of pitching in the NPB, Shohei Ohtani posted an ERA of
1.86 across 140 innings with 174 strikeouts, 45 walks, and 89 hits (four walks). Ohtani made only five starts in 2017 and had
a 3.42 ERA in 26.1 innings. Number 3-Arsenal of Pitches
In his bag, Sasaki has a nearly unhittable pair of pitches in his fastball and splitter. Roki averages 99.5 mph on his fastball in
his start against the Buffaloes. The fastball also had 19.8 inches of vertical
and 15.4 inches of horizontal break. For comparison, Baseball Savant listed only
one pitcher (among qualifiers) as throwing more than 95 mph with at least 19 inches of
a vertical break in 2021, which was Dillon Maples with 95.1 mph and 20.1 vertical break. Jarlin Garcia and Andrew Heaney were the only
pitchers who had more than 15 inches of break in both horizontal and vertical with a fastball
of at least 90 mph.
The fastball makes it hard to spit on his
splitter and fools them. Sasaki’s splitter averages 91.2 mph with
2.3 inches of vertical and 7.8 inches of horizontal break. It would be the second-fastest splitter in
MLB behind the Japanese Red Sox pitcher in Hirokazu Sawamura. The deadly combination makes Roki filthy to
the opposition. Number 2-Stats vs MLB’s Best
By the end of June 2022, Roki Sasaki is making the case as the best pitcher on the planet. Shane McClanahan has put together an excellent
season for the Rays. He has posted a stellar 2.06 ERA and a 0.879
WHiP in his 52.1 innings, striking out 74 batters with just 12 walks. The 25-year-old appears to be the next ace
for the Rays, another piece in their assembly line of pitching. Sasaki has been far more than just those two
games, as he has posted a 1.47 ERA and a 0.673 WHiP in his 55 innings, striking out an incredible
87 batters with just eight walks. Number 1-Next Stop MLB
Sorry to disappoint you MLB fans, but you will have a long wait to see Roki in the Major
League anytime soon. Sasaki would have to play for the Marines
for at least nine years before they can become international free agents.
There is a process by which Sasaki could come
over early, but it is complicated. Sasaki could ask the Marines to post him before
he turns 25. If they did so, there would be a cap between
$4.75 and $5.75 million to spend to try and sign international players in their pool. Should the Marines post him, they would receive
20 percent of the guaranteed value of his contract. However, it would be better if Sasaki signed
after becoming 25, he could sign a larger deal, and his Japanese franchise would get
a better fee for their prized possession. The posting system is complicated, but unless
Sasaki decides to leave early, it likely won't be until at least 2027. It's a shame but Roki will be worth the wait
as he smooths out the rough edges of his pitching. However, while we wait all of the above proves
that Roki Sasaki might be baseball's next best thing! Do you think that Roki Sasaki is baseball’s
next best thing? Do you think he will leave Japan before 2027? Let me know in the comments section.
Smash the button and subscribe to the channel
for more premium sports-related content. Until next time.
Free Coupon Download to Save up to 80% Off Your Prescription Medicines
