Roki Sasaki revealed how Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto have eased his MLB transition.
When the Los Angeles Dodgers officially won the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes, signing the burgeoning Japanese ace to an entry-level contract, it was widely viewed as the biggest steal of the MLB offseason.
That’s right, after being heavily recruited by the Toronto Blue Jays, the New York Yankees, the San Diego Padres, and, well, any other team the young pitcher was willing to talk to, Sasaki will officially make his MLB debut alongside fellow countrymen Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto in a pitching rotation that should also include Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and even Clayton Kershaw, who re-signed with the team earlier this month.
Discussing what it’s like to get to share his MLB journey with a pair of Japanese pitchers who followed the same path in the not-too-distant past, Sasaki told reporters via his translator that he is excited to work with the duo, as they are helping him in his journey.
“They’ve been really helpful in guiding me through the things I don’t know about, and as games start there will be more of those things, so being able to talk to them about those things will be really helpful,” Sasaki told reporters.
Though he’s still a few weeks away from his first MLB action, which could come in Japan, depending on how the Dodgers stagger their rotation, Sasaki is already earning incredible praise from his skipper and fellow players for bringing some choice stuff with him stateside. Cactus League will give fans their first look, as will the series with the Chicago Cubs in Japan, and from there, Sasaki will be off to the races, going all-in on his first taste of professional action.
Will Sasaki be able to become the next great international MLB star? Only time will tell, but with Ohtani and Yamamoto by his side, it’s safe to say Sasaki has the infrastructure needed to get where he wants to be.
