Cody Snavely
The Los Angeles Dodgers have yet to announce the official signing of 23-year-old Japanese phenom Rōki Sasaki, who reported inked a deal with a $6.5 million signing bonus last week. However, we now have a confirmation of what number he will wear for the upcoming 2025 season.
A player’s number can be described as a basic thing, but this cannot be further from the truth. It can be a way to tap into a player’s mind and personality, and for a jersey fanatic like myself, it is good to know when I look into buying that said player.
Sasaki, 23, has worn multiple numbers in his time in Japan. He most recently wore No.17 with his former club, the Chiba Lotte Marines, No. 14 with Samurai Japan during the 2023 World Baseball Classic, and No. 11 after his idol Yu Darvish in high school.
However, regarding the Dodgers, all three of those numbers are unavailable, with two being in use (17,11) and one being retired (14). So, fans ponder the question: What number will Sasaki wear?
Well, our first unofficial confirmation came from a Japanese newspaper showcasing Sasaki in the classic Dodger Blue wearing No.11, which veteran utility infielder Miguel Rojas currently has.
The next hint was a cryptic post by Rojas himself showing him during the 2014 season, his first stint with the Dodgers when we wore No.72 with the caption “back to the roots.”
However, in an email with J. P. Hoornstra of The Big Lead, Rojas confirmed that he would indeed be giving Sasaki his number and switching back to No.72 as his Instagram post suggested.
The switch to eleven does make sense for Sasaki as his idol growing up was current San Diego Padres pitcher Yu Darvish, who wore the number his entire career minus his brief stint with Los Angeles during the 2017 season after the trade deadline where he wore No.21 for the Dodgers.
The Dodgers are expected to announce Sasaki’s signing this week, sometime before January 23rd, with a presumably large press conference to introduce their newest international star.
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