Dodgers set to add another Japanese star?

The Los Angeles Dodgers already have a pair of Japanese superstars in two-way player Shohei Ohtani and pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Another star could be on the way soon.

According to Bob Nightengale from USA Today, Chiba Lotte Marines pitcher Roki Sasaki signing with the Dodgers may be a foregone conclusion. Yahoo Japan reported that the Dodgers were among the eight teams with representatives at Sasaki's most recent start. He allowed one run on six hits and a walk over five innings in that outing, striking out seven.

Sasaki has been one of the more dominant pitchers in Japan since making his Nippon Professional Baseball debut. The 22-year-old has posted a stellar 2.00 ERA and a 0.839 WHiP over his 283.2 innings, striking out 376 batters with 56 walks. He fired 17 perfect innings between two starts in 2022, tying the NPB record with 19 strikeouts with a record-setting 13 in a row.

Sasaki is considered one of the best prospects in Japan. FanGraphs rated Sasaki as its best international prospect this offseason, tied with Yamamoto atop their list. His plus fastball averages 99 MPH and has been clocked as high as 103 MPH, an NPB record. He pairs that fastball with a plus-plus splitter and a slider that he can manipulate to get more break as needed. Sasaki does have occasional problems in commanding the slider.