Mike Salas
The 22-year-old right-handed pitcher who is nicknamed “the monster of the reiwa” NPB spring baseball did not start off to well. Roki Sasaki, who was a dominant pitcher last year and was rumored to be leaving the NPB for Major League Baseball, had a rough go in his first 2 starts in spring baseball, which had writers questioning if there was something going on with Roki.
In nine innings of the first couple of games pitched, Sasaki had a 5.00 ERA and 2.22 WHIP. Roki ended his 2023 season with a 2.00 ERA / 2 complete games / 1 shutout / 376 SO / and 0.839 WHIP. It is understandable that Sasaki could come into spring ball looking a little sluggish with all the controversy surrounding reports he was leaving for Major League baseball.
In Roki’s last spring game, he took the mound and showed the command and nasty pitches he has in his arenol. Sasaki’s fastball was sitting at 97-99 mph and topped out at 101 mph. Roki’s slider and forkball was almost un-hittable for the opposing team. His slider and forkball reached 88 mph and he finished five innings pitched with 2H / 0 ER / 0BB / and 5 strike outs.
If Sasaki worked on his stamina and fixed his grip on the ball to where he doesn’t have blisters on his pitching hand, Sasaki has to possibilities of taking Yamamoto’s spot as the best pitcher in the NPB.
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