Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball is turning out to be a great source for the best pitchers in the past decade.
For Japanese players, the MLB is where they hit the jackpot in terms of earnings.
Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, two top free agents in 2024, recently signed massive deals that broke MLB records.
Another young prospect could follow in their footsteps soon - the kid's name is Rōki Sasaki of the Chiba Lotte Marines.
The 22-year-old is not shy in expressing his desire to play in the United States. He said it once and reiterated it as the MLB Free Agency period for the 2024 season continues.
"I have the desire to play in the U.S. major leagues in the future," Sasaki said during an appearance in front of reporters in Japan. "I've been communicating every year. I believe the club understands it too."
He was pressed about his interest but replied, "I believe it's important to play well in the season that's right in front of me."
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Sasaki should remain in top form as he matures in NPB. His fellow Japanese aces caught lucrative deals for themselves when they entered American soil.
Ohtani netted himself a $700 million, 10-year contract when he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in December. Yamamoto joined a few weeks after to the tune of a $325 million, 12-year deal.
He is probably better than Yamamoto
Chatters among scouts have it that he is better than Yamamoto.
At 20 years old, he became the youngest player in NPB to throw a perfect game. The historical moment occurred on April 10, 2022, against Yamamoto and the Orix Buffaloes.
He also had 19 total strikeouts in a single game on the same day to tie the record owned by Koji Noda. The sensational game also saw him struck out 13 batters in a row, the record in the local league and the new world record after edging the ten consecutive strikeouts set by Corbin Burnes, Tom Seaver, and Aaron Nola in the MLB.
Sasaki's profile and playing style
Sasaki is much taller than Yamamoto (5'8). Standing at 6'4 and weighing 203 pounds, the youngster is a force to be reckoned with. He is a right-hand pitcher that can throw a fastball as fast as 102.5 mph.
His fastball average is 98.4mph.
Why can't he sign with any teams yet?
There are a lot of press releases about Sasaki, but he and any interested MLB teams will have to wait for a few more years due to the rules set by NPB.
The MLB Free Agency 2024 will end with him still on Japanese soil.
Per Japanese baseball program rules, locals need to complete at least nine years of service time in major leagues before they can enter free agency. Sasaki joined Chiba in 2021.
The only way a Japanese can transfer to MLB without completing the required nine years is when NPB and MLB agree on a posting system wherein the Japanese club will make the player available for bidding and, in turn, it will receive a release fee of 20 percent of the first $25 million of a major league contract.
The local club will continue receiving a release fee - 17.5 percent on the next $25 million and 15 percent of any contract amounting to $50 million.
This is a possibility, but another hurdle for Sasaki is his age. Any player under 25 who has yet to reach a six-year service is subjected to MLB's international amateur signing bonus pools. This means he will be playing in a minor league instead of the MLB.
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