Pitching is an aspect of baseball that the Philadelphia Phillies could always use help with. This year’s free-agent class is filled with plenty of starting and bullpen pitchers that the Phillies could consider.
However, there is a pitcher that the Phillies have shown interest in from Nippon Professional Baseball of Japan.
Roki Sasaki is that pitcher. According to Jeff Passan of ESPN.com, the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan will begin the process of posting the right-handed pitcher Sasaki. This most likely means he’ll be coming to Major League Baseball next season.
In his career, Sasaki has posted a 2.10 ERA with 505 strikeouts in 394 2/3 innings over four seasons with the Marines. He is only 23 years old, which could make it very enticing for teams to sign him.
In the 2024 season, Sasaki finished with an 2.35 ERA and collected 129 strikeouts in 111 innings pitched. He would also finish with a record of 10-5.
Another enticing aspect of Sasaki is his pitches. His fastball nearly reaches triple digits and can also throw a split-fingered splitter which is said to be his best pitch.
As the Phillies could use help in the starting pitching department, taking a chance on Sasaki wouldn’t be a bad idea.