Career Timeline of Roki Sasaki: Major Achievements and Milestones

How Roki Sasaki built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Roki Sasaki, dubbed "the Monster of the Reiwa Era," is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher currently playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers of MLB. He previously played for the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan's NPB, making his professional debut in 2021. Sasaki signed with the Dodgers in 2025, marking his transition to Major League Baseball.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

2019: Drafted by Chiba Lotte Marines

In 2019, after four teams attempted to select Sasaki in the NPB draft, the Chiba Lotte Marines won the lottery for the rights to the first overall selection and selected Sasaki.

2020: Marines protect Sasaki's arm

To protect Roki Sasaki's arm, the Marines did not allow Sasaki to appear in a game during the 2020 season.

May 16, 2021: NPB Debut

On May 16, 2021, Roki Sasaki made his NPB debut. For the 2021 season, he had a 3–2 win–loss record, a 2.27 earned run average (ERA), and 68 strikeouts in 63+1⁄3 innings pitched across 11 appearances.

2021: NPB Debut

In 2021, Roki Sasaki made his debut in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Chiba Lotte Marines.

April 10, 2022: Throws a perfect game

On April 10, 2022, Roki Sasaki threw a perfect game. He tied the NPB record for strikeouts in one game and set a new record for consecutive strikeouts.

2022: Fastball speed

In the 2022 season, Roki Sasaki's fastball averaged 98.4 mph (158.3 km/h) as a starter.

April 28, 2023: Ties record for fastest pitch

On April 28, 2023, Sasaki threw 4 pitches at a speed of 165 km/h (102.5 mph), which tied the record held by Shohei Ohtani for the fastest pitch by a Japanese player in NPB history.

2023: World Baseball Classic

In 2023, Roki Sasaki pitched for the Japanese national baseball team in the World Baseball Classic (WBC). He made his first start of the competition on March 11 against the Czech Republic. On March 20, he started in Japan's WBC semifinal game against Mexico. He finished the tournament at 1–0 with a 3.52 ERA and 11 strikeouts across 7+2⁄3 innings, receiving a gold medal in Japan's championship victory over the United States.

2023: International media attention at the WBC

In 2023, Roki Sasaki's performance in the WBC received international media attention. His abilities were compared to those of Stephen Strasburg.

November 8, 2024: Marines post Sasaki for MLB opportunity

On November 8, 2024, the Marines posted Sasaki to allow him to pursue an opportunity with Major League Baseball.

January 22, 2025: Signs with Los Angeles Dodgers

On January 22, 2025, Roki Sasaki signed a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, which featured a $6.5 million signing bonus. Shortly after his signing, Baseball America and MLB.com both named him the No. 1 prospect in MLB entering the 2025 season.

March 19, 2025: MLB Debut in Tokyo Series

On March 19, 2025, Roki Sasaki made his MLB debut in the MLB Tokyo Series 2025 against the Chicago Cubs, allowing one run on one hit and five walks while striking out three. His first MLB strikeout was of Seiya Suzuki.