Japanese Star Pitcher Roki Sasaki to Join MLB in 2024, Eyes High-Stakes Move

Japanese pitching star Roki Sasaki looks set to join Major League Baseball (MLB) next season. The Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) confirmed they are posting Sasaki, widely regarded as Japan’s top young pitcher, for MLB teams to pursue. 

Sasaki has spent five seasons with the Marines. Japanese Sasaki expressed his gratitude for the chance to take his career to the next level. In his statement he said, “Since joining the Marines, I have aimed to pursue my dream of playing in the MLB, and I’m grateful to the team for making it official.” Sasaki also said that his years with the team were filled with challenges, but he is leaving without regrets.

Sasaki is of 23 enters MLB as an international amateur under MLB’s collective bargaining agreement, similar to Shohei Ohtani in 2017. At the time Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Angels under a limited international signing bonus system, rather than a full free-agent deal. Sasaki is expected to spark intense interest across MLB, with the Los Angeles Dodgers emerging as a strong contender due to their global brand and history of acquiring international talent.