Rouki Sasaki’s impressive arm is drawing more attention from major league teams.
It was not that long ago that Rouki Sasaki burst onto the prospect map. The Japanese high school pitcher had impressed with his blazing fastball, which was clocked at 101 MPH. Although he is just a senior in high school, Sasaki has drawn plenty of attention from Nippon Professional Baseball, and reportedly had scouts from the Dodgers watching him as well.
The Dodgers are not the only team that is interested. According to additional reports that have come out this week, at least ten other teams have also scouted Sasaki.
Looks like there are now at least 10 MLB teams scouting high school fireball pitcher Roki Sasaki. The Dodgers were the first I heard rumored, now it appears the Royals, Athletics, Blue Jays, Giants, Twins, Phillies, Yankees, Pirates and Padres are scouting https://t.co/6MCt2Ee8mj
— NPB on reddit (@NPB_Reddit) April 24, 2019
The Dodgers certainly have a history with Japanese pitchers, from bringing in Hideo Nomo over two decades ago to Kenta Maeda today. The Yankees have a history as well, with success stories like Masahiro Tanaka, to utter failures like Hideki Irabu.
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
All of this attention may well lead to a fascinating decision for Sasaki. Typically, Japanese pitchers do not skip NPB to sign with a major league team, spending several years in their home country before either being posted or leaving as an international free agent.
Yet that decision to stay in Japan could be a hindrance in his development. While major league teams tend to be cautious with building up pitch counts and being careful with developing their young arms, teams in Japan throw those pitchers to the wolves. It is not a surprise that most pitchers that come over require elbow and shoulder surgeries, as those teams get everything they can out of those arms.
Likewise, that approach can lead to devastating results as pitchers lose their way. Shintaro Fujinami, once considered to be as bright of a pitching prospect as Shohei Ohtani, has completely fallen apart, to the point where he was sent to the minors in Japan. While it is possible that he would have had those same issues in a different setting, the way he has been dealt with by the coaching staff has not done him any favors.
Rouki Sasaki is turning heads, and major league teams are paying attention. Once he finishes high school, he will have quite the decision to make.