Shohei Ohtani leads headlines but MLB insider claims Roki Sasaki’s hype rivals Paul Skenes

MLB insider believes that Roki Sasaki has the hype and potential of Paul Skenes (Photo Source: IMAGN)
MLB insider believes that Roki Sasaki has the hype and potential of Paul Skenes (Photo Source: IMAGN)

Roki Sasaki might be able to become a truly special talent in Major League Baseball. One of the most sought-after names on the open market, the 23-year-old pitcher opted to join the Los Angeles Dodgers after being posted by his NPB club, the Chiba Lotte Marines. The Japanese pitcher was at the forefront of an exciting race between several clubs looking to secure his signature.

While there was speculation that Roki Sasaki was always going to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the young phenom met with a number of different clubs, including the Toronto Blue Jays and San Diego Padres. Ultimately, Sasaki agreed to a deal with the Dodgers, along with a $6.5 million signing bonus.

Now that his MLB team is determined, analysts and insiders are looking into how effective Sasaki could be in his first MLB season, with Doug McKain of Dodgers Dugout comparing his hype to that of National League Rookie of the Year Award winner Paul Skenes. If Sasaki can get close to the heights that Skenes reached, he could be truly dominant in the Majors.

"Everybody will be looking at Shohei Ohtani to start the year but they'll also be looking at Roki Sasaki as well because he's not even on the 40-man roster yet. He is the most highly-touted, heralded pitching prospect since Paul Skenes... Last time Major League Baseball had a pitcher that had this much hype surrouding him, that pitcher captured the imagination of the entire sport," McKain explained.

Even though Sasaki is still young, he has made a name for himself thanks to his ability to hit triple digits with his fastball, as well as his arsenal of off-speed pitches that help him rack up strikeouts. It will be interesting to see how he adapts to the MLB level, however, Doug McKain believes Roki Sasaki has the makings of a true superstar for the Dodgers.

"It's the stuff that you're looking for. It's not just how he is, it's how does that stuff look the moment he steps onto the mound... If we're seeing 102mph Roki Sasaki with a Splitter than has a chance to be the best Splitter in the sport the second he starts his career, we're probably going to see a Rookie of the Year and someone that could compete for the Cy Young," McKain continued.

Roki Sasaki should have the opportunity to cement his place in one of the best pitching rotations in baseball

As long as Sasaki is fully healthy and does not have a catastrophic Spring Training, he should find himself with an opportunity to contribute to arguably the best rotation in baseball. The 23-year-old could be working alongside the likes of Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Blake Snell, which could be trouble for every team they match up against.

As dominant as the rotation mentioned above is, this does not include some of the Dodgers' injured pitchers who will be working their way back, including Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May. Given the additions the team made this year, the reigning World Series champions have a good chance to defend their crown.

Quick Links

Edited by Lyndon Suvanto
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
More
More
bell-icon Manage notifications