Roki Sasaki shared a video on social media of himself pitching from a mound, captioned “loading…,” prompting fans to urge him to join their teams as he transitions from Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) to Major League Baseball (MLB).
Currently, Sasaki remains with the Chiba Lotte Marines but is expected to make a decision about his MLB future in the coming weeks, followed by a press conference where he will don a new uniform.Once he departs, the Marines will have to adjust to life without one of the top young pitchers globally.
Sasaki boasts an impressive record of 29 wins and 15 losses over 64 starts, with a 2.10 ERA and 505 strikeouts in nearly 400 innings across the past four seasons.As the baseball community awaits Sasaki’s choice, fans of the Marines may be concerned about the team’s pitching lineup for 2025.
Additionally, C.C. Mercedes has recently left the team to join Taiwan’s Uni-President Lions, further complicating the pitching situation for manager Masato Yoshii. Mercedes had a solid season, throwing over 126 innings with a 2.71 ERA, making his absence felt alongside Sasaki’s potential departure.
The Chiba Lotte Marines will need to find replacements for Roki Sasaki, who is expected to leave for Major League Baseball (MLB) soon. Sasaki recently shared a video of himself pitching with the caption “loading…,” prompting fans to urge him to join their teams.
Currently, he is still with the Marines but will decide on his MLB future in the next week or two, followed by a press conference where he will unveil his new uniform.Sasaki has been a standout pitcher in Japan, boasting a record of 29 wins and 15 losses with a 2.10 ERA over four seasons.
His departure will leave a significant gap in the starting rotation, and the Marines will need to adapt quickly.The team has retained reliable pitchers Kazuya Ojima and Atsuki Taneichi, who had solid performances last season. Additionally, they have signed free-agent Shuta Ishikawa from the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, who brings valuable experience despite limited starts in 2024.
With several spots open in the rotation, manager Masato Yoshii will look to both veterans and promising young pitchers like 22-year-old Shunsuke Nakamori and 20-year-old Haruya Tanaka.
Nakamori has shown potential with a career ERA of 3.05 over 44⅓ innings, while Tanaka aims to build on his experience from last season.As the Marines prepare for the upcoming season, the competition for rotation spots will intensify as they adjust to life without Sasaki.
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