Yankees, Red Sox are you watching: 20-year-old Japanese Phenom Roki Sasaki on a record streak, could he be the next Shohei Ohtani for MLB?
New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox fans, it is time to start watching Roki Sasaki. Roki Sasaki is a Japanese pitcher playing for the Chiba Lotte Marines. He may only be 20 years old, but he is taking the baseball world by storm.
Japan's 20-year-old phenom Roki Sasaki almost did it again. A week after pitching the first perfect game in Japanese professional baseball in 28 years, Sasaki delivered eight more perfect innings Sunday before being pulled after throwing 102 pitches. cbsn.ws/37pDtt6
"Japan's 20-year-old phenom Roki Sasaki almost did it again. A week after pitching the first perfect game in Japanese professional baseball in 28 years, Sasaki delivered eight more perfect innings Sunday before being pulled after throwing 102 pitches." - @ CBS News
Roki Sasaki threw a perfect game just last week (the first in Japanese professional baseball) and almost threw another this week. He threw eight perfect innings but was pulled to prevent injury. The Chiba Lotte Marines won in the tenth inning off a solo home run from outfielder Chusei Mannami.
Rōki Sasaki, Unhittable Splitters. 😳
8 Perfect Innings (with 14Ks), taken out with a PG intact...after throwing a Perfect Game with 19Ks last outing. Insanity. https://t.co/sKpLotnHCp
"Rōki Sasaki, Unhittable Splitters. 8 Perfect Innings (with 14Ks), taken out with a PG intact...after throwing a Perfect Game with 19Ks last outing. Insanity." - @ Rob Friedman
Sasaki has now thrown 33 strikeouts against 51 batters. Sasaki has started four games this season. He has only allowed four runs in 31 innings and is striking out opposing hitters at an alarming rate.
Could Roki Sasaki be the next Shohei Ohtani?
It is hard to tell if Sasaki is the next Ohtani. Sasaki was a highly coveted athlete in high school. Major League teams were hoping he would make the jump to the United States, but he chose to stay in Japan and play in the Nippon Professional Baseball league (the highest league in Japan).
Roki Sasaki could only make the jump to the Major Leagues under two conditions. He can play for nine years in the Nippon Professional Baseball league, or he could ask for permission from the Chiba Lotte Marines to go to the Major Leagues. However, the Marines are not obligated to let him go.
I am sure many people are hoping Sasaki will be the next Ohtani, but I do not see that happening. Even if Sasaki does sign with a Major League team, he will not be hitting and pitching; he will only be pitching. If any player ever wants to be regarded as the next Shohei Ohtani, he will have to complete the difficult task of pitching and hitting well. Ohtani is in a world of his own and is unlikely to be matched by anyone else.