Anyone who watched the 2023 World Baseball Classic surely found themselves wowed by Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki.
A 100+ mph fastball coupled with a killer splitter (as in one of the best in the world) can do that.
At the time, Sasaki — a pitcher for the Chiba Lotte Marines — was only 21, so he continued to play in the NPB, waiting until he was eligible to be posted. Earlier this month, that happened:
News: Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki is expected to be officially posted at Major League Baseball’s winter meetings, opening a 45-day window Tuesday that will allow him to sign after Jan.