The 2024 season is over for the Philadelphia Phillies.
After losing the National League Division Series in four games against their rival New York Mets, the Phillies’ quest for a championship will span another season. A lot could be said about the series, but at the end of it all, the Mets outplayed the Phillies in every aspect of the game. An early and frustrating exit has left fans and media alike with ideas on how the club can improve the roster for next season. There have been discussions about everything from starting pitching to the backup catcher. Regardless of your opinion of each position, the ideas are meant to help the team succeed.
The first player to be placed on the big board is can’t-miss NPB superstar pitcher, Rōki Sasaki.
Rōki Sasaki
Sasaki, a RHP born in 2001, is from Rikuzentakata in the Iwate Prefecture. He broke Shohei Ohtani‘s high school record for fastest pitch at 101 MPH, resulting in him getting drafted #1 overall by the Chiba Lotte Marines in 2019. He didn’t make his NPB debut until May 16, 2021. Just 11 months later on May 10, 2022, Sasaki pitched a perfect game while striking out 19 batters.
He is a 6’4″, 204 lb fastball machine. His fastball topped out at 102.5 MPH and averaged 98.5 MPH. He also throws a forkball, curveball, and a slider with his forkball being the best off-speed pitch. The velocity of his fastball is sure to drop with the standard MLB baseball, but he’s throwing much faster than Yoshinobu Yamamoto did before coming to MLB.
The concern
There will always be concerns about pitchers who haven’t played in Major League Baseball, but that isn’t the real concern here. The problem comes from the club he plays for, the Chiba Lotte Marines of the NPB. The rules of NPB require nine years of service time before he can be posted without permission. Sasaki requested his posting last offseason, but the Marines denied his request, forcing him to play his fourth season in Japan. According to Jeff Passan, the denial left the relationship between the club and the player “damaged” afterward.
Should the Phillies sign him?
While the Phillies don’t “need” a starter, Sasaki is a player you make room for. He looks better than Yoshinobu Yamamoto coming out and he’s only 23 years old. If Sasaki is posted by the Marines, the Phillies must do everything they can to sign him. He is the best pitching prospect to come out of NPB.
According to a report, the Phillies have joined the Mets, Yankees, Blue Jays, Padres, Giants, Astros, Red Sox, Rangers, and Rays in sending scouts to watch Sasaki pitch, proving their initial interest is not just a rumor. The Phillies have said they want to be more involved in Japan due to all the talent coming out. They missed out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but they were aggressive in their pursuit. This shows the Phillies are serious about acquiring superstar NPB talent.
The Phillies should do everything in their power to sign him. If he wants a Wawa franchise, you go convince Wawa to let him be the first franchisee. He is that good of a prospect. Bringing talent like that to Philadelphia puts you directly into the NPB market and gets you a sure-fire ace for years to come.
Are the Phillies likely to sign him?
If Sasaki gets posted by the Marines, it will be an uphill battle for the Phillies. The Dodgers, Mets, and Yankees will all have an advantage over them. The Dodgers not only have a geographical advantage, but they have the two biggest NPB superstars on their roster, Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Mets have an advantage over the Phillies because they not only have over $100 million coming off of their books, they have Kodai Senga, a fellow NPB star. The Yankees have a rich history of Japanese talent, making them another team that could convince Sasaki to sign with them.
The Phillies finished in the top four in the bidding war for Yamamto. Where exactly they finished in that race is unclear, but they’ll have to do more if they want to sway Sasaki away from the three rumored bidders. Do not get your hopes up, but keep an eye on it.
Photo Credit: X/@KostivalOnBase
