"I didn't choose Dodgers because of Otani"
This is what Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki (24) left at a press conference to join the Los Angeles Dodgers in the U.S. Major League Baseball (MLB). It was speculated that the background of Sasaki's Dodgers selection may be due to many Japanese teammates, including Shohei Ohtani, who has become the best superstar in the Major League, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but Sasaki denied this.
Sasaki held a press conference on the 23rd (Korea Standard Time) at Dodger Stadium in LA, California.
Sasaki's uniform number is 11. "I am honored that many teams have shown interest in me, even though I did not make much progress in Japan," Sasaki told the press conference wearing her uniform number 11. On the recent forest fire damage in LA, she said, "I also suffered from natural disasters," and comforted her by saying, "I tried to renew my commitment to pursue my goal without losing my goal." AFP reported that Sasaki lost her father during the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.
Sasaki said, "LA is going through a difficult time now, and I will do my best to go forward with the people in this city as a member of the Dodgers from today."
Sasaki was a promising player who received attention from all over Japan for throwing fastballs with speeds of more than 160 kilometers per hour during his high school years. He joined the Chiba Lotte Marines in 2020, but he never took the mound in the first and second division for a year, focusing only on pitching form and release point correction. Sasaki, who Chiba Lotte has nurtured, made his first appearance in the first division in the 2021 season. In 2022, he became the world's youngest player (20 years and five months) with 19 strikeouts and 13 consecutive strikeouts, drawing attention from baseball fans around the world. He played for four seasons in the Japanese pro baseball league until the 2024 season, recording 29 wins and 15 losses with an ERA of 2.10 in 69 games, 394.2 innings, before declaring his entry into the U.S.
Sasaki has never met the stipulated innings in Japanese professional baseball, but many Major League teams rushed to recruit him because he used four-seam fastballs and crystal ball, which are more than 160 kilometers long, to make powerful pitches. Since he is a player under the age of 25 and is classified as an international amateur rather than a free agent, he is not allowed to sign a large contract, and his salary is set as the lowest salary. This restriction on his status has created a situation in which Sasaki can stand in the position of "A." This is because promising players with abundant potential can be used for six seasons before becoming a free agent.
The New York Yankees and others were notified of their elimination by Sasaki's "reverse interview," and it was the Dodgers who were eventually picked by Sasaki.
"I am honored to have been contacted by many teams since I announced my entry into the Major League," Sasaki said. "It was an opportunity in my lifetime and I chose a team that can grow the most. It was a difficult decision, but I have confidence and confidence that I can grow in the Dodgers."
As for why Sasaki chose the Dodgers, some analysts said that it may be because Ohtani or Yamamoto, who played together in the "Samurai Japan" and collaborated to win the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC). During the actual meeting, the Dodgers reportedly sent love calls to Sasaki directly by Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, as well as Will Smith, the main catcher who will directly receive MVP Trioeda Sasaki's ball.
However, he explained that Otani's presence was not a decisive factor in choosing the Dodgers. "Whether there were Japanese players in my team was not my priority. I looked at all the teams. The Dodgers was the most stable team," Sasaki said. "I'm really looking forward to playing with great players like Otani and Yamamoto. I'm excited to play with them as well as other outstanding players." 메이저사이트
"His goal is to become the first Japanese pitcher to win the Cy Young Award," said Dodgers President Andrew Friedman, who attended Sasaki's joining news conference. "He has the full capacity. I'm glad he can play for our team."