Roki Sasaki awaits the start of the 2025 international signing period that begins on Jan. 15, but in the meantime he and his agent, Joel Wolfe Wasserman Media Group, are permitted to meet and negotiate with teams.
Sasaki is known or reported to have met with the San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers up to this point. The Philadelphia Phillies reportedly were spurned in their interest.
The San Diego Padres and Dodgers are the perceived favorites to sign the Japanese right-hander.
The Dodgers boast one of the best fits for Sasaki, as they’re heading into the 2025 season with a six-man rotation in mind. In terms of belief around the league, the defending World Series champions are the odds-on favorite to sign him.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Dodgers’ odds for Sasaki are considered greater than the flip of a coin:
One person assessed the Dodgers’ chances as: “Better than 50/50 but not 100 percent.”
A recent vote among Major League executives placed the Padres and Dodgers as the split-favorite for Sasaki.
Sasaki has a notable affinity for Padres starter Yu Darvish, giving them a chance to be one of his preferred destinations. However, taking visits with as many listed teams points the scale in the direction that he and his camp are aiming for best overall fit.
Roki Sasaki scouting report
The 23-year-old old spent four seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball, in which he had a career 2.10 ERA and 505 strikeouts in 394.2 innings pitched. Sasaki was also a two-time All-Star.
He boasts a strong mix that includes a four-seam fastball, splitter and slider. Sasaki’s fastball velocity has lost a few ticks in recent seasons, but his secondary offerings, mainly his splitter, are devastating to hitters.
Sasaki creates a strong tunnel effect with this fastball and splitter, something he showcased against Major League hitters when pitching for Team Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Sasaki’s whiff rate on the splitter was 57.1% in 2024, which would have been among the best in Major League Baseball.
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