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Coveted Japanese-born pitcher Roki Sasaki is headed to the Los Angeles Dodgers. On Friday, the 23-year-old announced helium had signed a insignificant league declaration with the organization.
Roki's accomplishment successful Los Angeles cements the metropolis and the shot franchise arsenic the preferred MLB destination for the apical players successful Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Sasaki is the latest pitching sensation to prime the reigning World Series champions. The squad lured pitcher and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani and chap pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto past offseason.
In the hours since Sasaki made his determination public, shot players crossed the large leagues person shared their reactions to the move. However, San Francisco Giants pitcher Logan Webb's evident absorption to the quality is 1 that stood out.
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The All-Star right-hander took to X on Friday and posted a GIF from "Space Jam." The station featured a clip of Monstars squad on with the caption, "Time to play a small basketball."
In the film, the Monstars were made up of a radical who stole the talents of NBA players to efficaciously go a almighty ace team.
WHO IS RŌKI SASAKI? WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE JAPANESE PITCHING SENSATION BOUND FOR MLB
The live-action and animated sports movie was released successful 1996 and starred Michael Jordan and respective different NBA stars.
The Dodgers signed Ohtani to a historical 10-year, $700 cardinal declaration successful Dec. 2023. While his betterment from an wounded prevented him from taking the pitching mound successful 2024, Ohtani deed a career-best 54 location runs en way to earning his 3rd MVP award.
If Ohtani retakes the pitching mound astatine immoderate constituent successful 2025, helium would beryllium portion of arguably the deepest and astir formidable pitching rotation successful the large leagues. The Dodgers' projected pitching rotation already features Yamamoto, Dustin May, Tyler Glasnow, Tony Gonsolin, and Clayton Kershaw. Gonsolin and May did not propulsion a transportation successful MLB past play owed to injury, and hey volition apt person to beryllium eased backmost into the rotation.
Blake Snell, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, besides signed with LA earlier this offseason.
LA lured archetypal baseman Freddie Freeman distant from the Atlanta Braves successful 2022. Freeman had already won 1 National League MVP grant and a World Series rubric with Atlanta earlier helium signed with the Dodgers. LA's lineup besides includes 2019 American League MVP Mookie Betts and a big of different prima hitters.
Sasaki posted a 2.02 ERA implicit his 4 seasons playing astatine the highest level of shot successful Japan. His fastball routinely reaches 100 mph. He tin besides propulsion an awesome splitter, which bolsters his imaginable to beryllium an ace successful a pitching rotation.
He played alongside Ohtani and Yamamoto during the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
A agelong database of MLB clubs submitted accusation astir their respective organizations to Saski and his representing bureau successful December during baseball's wintertime meetings. By January, Sasaski narrowed down his choices to the Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays and San Diego Padres — yet picking Los Angeles.
Webb's Giants besides had a engaged offseason, acquiring prima shortstop Willy Adames and seasoned pitcher Justin Verlander successful escaped agency. San Francisco competes successful the NL West and missed the playoffs past season. The Giants volition person to contend with what is projected to beryllium 1 of the champion divisions successful the MLB successful 2025.
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