Roki Sasaki Bio
Roki Sasaki is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed “the Monster of the Reiwa Era,” he has earned recognition for his exceptional fastball velocity, his historic perfect game in 2022, and his transition from Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) to Major League Baseball in 2025. Standing 6 feet 2 inches tall, Sasaki is widely regarded as one of the most talented pitchers of his generation and a central figure in the Dodgers’ pitching staff.
Early Life and Background
Roki Sasaki was born on November 3, 2001, in Rikuzentakata, Iwate, Japan. He was named after the villain Rouki from Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger, a Super Sentai television show that aired in the year of his birth. In 2011, when Sasaki was in the third grade, the Tōhoku earthquake struck his region. The resulting tsunami swept away his family home. His father and grandparents died in the disaster, and Sasaki, his mother, and his two brothers lived in a nursing home during the recovery period.
The following year, the family relocated to Ōfunato, where Sasaki enrolled in a new school and began playing organized baseball. He continued his athletic development there and eventually graduated from Ōfunato High School, where his pitching talent quickly drew national attention.
Path to Baseball
At Ōfunato High School, Sasaki set a new Japanese high school baseball record with a fastball clocked at 101 miles per hour. His exceptional velocity and poise on the mound earned him comparisons to Shohei Ohtani and the nickname “the Monster of the Reiwa Era,” a tribute to Daisuke Matsuzaka, who had been known as “the Monster of the Heisei Era.” Though several other high schools recruited him, Sasaki chose to remain at Ōfunato to stay with his teammates.
Multiple Major League Baseball organizations hoped he would pursue a professional career in the United States, but Sasaki announced his intention to enter the Nippon Professional Baseball draft. Four teams attempted to select him in the 2019 NPB draft, and the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Pacific League ultimately won the lottery for the first overall pick, signing him with a signing bonus of ¥100 million.
Roki Sasaki Career
Early Career (2020–2021)
To protect his young arm, the Chiba Lotte Marines did not allow Sasaki to appear in any official games during the 2020 season. He made his NPB debut on May 16, 2021, and quickly demonstrated the poise and strikeout ability that had defined his amateur career. In his rookie season, Sasaki posted a 3–2 win–loss record with a 2.27 earned run average and 68 strikeouts across 63 and one-third innings in 11 appearances.
That October, Sasaki made his postseason debut in the 2021 Pacific League Climax Series, striking out 10 batters while allowing only one run over six innings as Lotte defeated the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. His performance confirmed his status as one of the most promising young arms in Japanese baseball.
NPB Breakthrough (2022–2024)
On April 10, 2022, Sasaki pitched a perfect game against the Orix Buffaloes, the 16th perfect game in NPB history and the first since 1994. He tied the NPB record with 19 strikeouts in the game and set a new league record with 13 consecutive strikeouts, surpassing the previous world record of 10 consecutive strikeouts shared by Corbin Burnes, Tom Seaver, and Aaron Nola. A week later, he retired 52 consecutive batters across two starts, setting another NPB record and surpassing the MLB mark of 46 held by Yusmeiro Petit. He finished the 2022 season with a 9–4 record, a 2.02 ERA, and 173 strikeouts in 129 and one-third innings.
In 2023, Sasaki logged a 7–4 record, a 1.78 ERA, and 135 strikeouts in 91 innings. He also represented Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, where he won a gold medal after defeating the United States in the final. On April 28, 2023, he tied Shohei Ohtani’s record for the fastest pitch by a Japanese player in NPB history at 102.5 miles per hour. In 2024, he went 10–5 with a 2.35 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 111 innings. The Marines posted him on November 8, 2024, allowing him to pursue an opportunity in Major League Baseball.
Los Angeles Dodgers Era (2025–Present)
On January 22, 2025, Roki Sasaki signed a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers that included a $6.5 million signing bonus. Because he was under the age of 25 at the time, MLB regulations required him to sign a minor league deal. Shortly after the signing, both Baseball America and MLB.com named him the No. 1 prospect in MLB entering the 2025 season.
Sasaki made the Dodgers’ opening day roster and was announced as the starter for the second game of the 2025 MLB Tokyo Series against the Chicago Cubs on March 19, 2025. In his Major League debut, he allowed one run on one hit and five walks while striking out three, recording his first MLB strikeout against Seiya Suzuki. He earned his first Major League win on May 3 against the Atlanta Braves. On May 13, a right shoulder impingement placed him on the 15-day injured list, and he was transferred to the 60-day injured list on June 20. After a lengthy rehabilitation assignment, Sasaki was activated on September 24 to work as a relief pitcher for the remainder of the season. He finished with an 8-start, 2-relief appearance line of 1–1, a 4.46 ERA, 28 strikeouts, and 22 walks.
In the postseason, Sasaki recorded his first professional save in Game 1 of the 2025 National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. He earned saves in the first two games of the series and then threw three perfect relief innings in the decisive fourth game. He later appeared in two games of the 2025 World Series, which the Dodgers won in seven games, earning Sasaki his first career World Series championship.
Driving Style and Strengths
Roki Sasaki relies on a three-quarters right-handed delivery and a four-seam fastball that has reached 102.5 miles per hour. In 2022, his fastball averaged 98.4 miles per hour as a starter. He complements his fastball with a forkball or split-finger fastball that is widely considered the best off-speed pitch in his arsenal, along with a curveball and a slider.
Notable Events and Milestones
Sasaki’s most defining moment came on April 10, 2022, when he pitched a perfect game for the Chiba Lotte Marines and tied the NPB single-game strikeout record with 19. His subsequent streak of 52 consecutive batters retired set a new NPB record, and his 13 consecutive strikeouts set a new world record. In 2025, he contributed to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ World Series championship and recorded multiple saves in the National League Division Series.
Roki Sasaki Career Wins
Across his NPB career with the Chiba Lotte Marines and his first Major League season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Roki Sasaki accumulated a series of milestone victories that defined his rise from a teenage pitching prospect to a World Series champion. His win total includes a 3–2 rookie season in 2021, a 9–4 campaign in 2022, a 7–4 mark in 2023, and a 10–5 record in 2024 before his move to the Dodgers.
NPB Highlights
Sasaki’s most celebrated victory came on April 10, 2022, when he threw a perfect game against the Orix Buffaloes and tied the NPB single-game strikeout record with 19. A week later, he came within one out of a second consecutive perfect game before being removed to protect his health. His 2023 and 2024 seasons featured further dominance, and he was named a two-time NPB All-Star in 2022 and 2023. He also received the Chiba City Special Award “New Era Hometown Impressive Award” in 2022.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond his NPB accomplishments, Sasaki represented Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and won a gold medal after the team defeated the United States in the final. In Major League Baseball, his first regular-season win came on May 3, 2025, against the Atlanta Braves, and he closed out the Dodgers’ National League Division Series victory over the Philadelphia Phillies with saves in Games 1 and 2.
Roki Sasaki Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
While not a racing family, the Sasaki family faced profound loss during the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Sasaki’s father and grandparents died in the disaster, after which he, his mother, and his two brothers lived in a nursing home during the recovery period. The family later rebuilt their lives in Ōfunato, where Sasaki began his baseball journey.
Personal Life
Public details about Roki Sasaki’s personal life remain limited, and he has not publicly disclosed information about a spouse or children. His focus since his teenage years has been on his professional baseball career in Japan and the United States.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marked Roki Sasaki’s Major League Baseball debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers after signing a contract that included a $6.5 million signing bonus. He opened the year by starting the second game of the MLB Tokyo Series against the Chicago Cubs on March 19, 2025, and went on to record his first Major League win on May 3 against the Atlanta Braves. A right shoulder impingement halted his rhythm in mid-May, sidelining him through much of the summer.
Following a lengthy rehabilitation assignment, Sasaki returned in September as a relief pitcher and played a key role in the Dodgers’ postseason run. He earned saves in the first two games of the National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies and threw three perfect relief innings in the decisive fourth game. In the 2025 World Series, which the Dodgers won in seven games, he appeared in two contests and earned his first career World Series championship.
Looking ahead, Sasaki is expected to re-enter the Dodgers’ starting rotation in 2026 after a full offseason of recovery. With a fastball that has reached 102.5 miles per hour and a polished split-finger fastball, he remains one of the most closely watched young arms in baseball as he builds on a season that ended with the sport’s ultimate team prize.