It's said it's too early, but finally, Sasaki's time has come, playing for five seasons like Ohtani seven years ago and going to the Major League, club officials "Step by step"

Oct 15, 2024

Sasaki started in the Nippon Ham and Kliemax Series First Stage 1 Chargers on the 12th and pitched eight scoreless innings. This game may be the last game for Chiba Lotte. Photo capture = Chiba Lotte Marines SNS

Sasaki pitched 9 perfect innings against Rakuten in his last game on the 1st. With this victory, he reached the 10-win mark for the first time in his fifth year as a professional. Photo capture = Chiba Lotte Marines SNS

After finishing all the schedules this season, a high-ranking official of Chiba Lotte said he would proceed while talking about Sasaki and his advance to the Major League. Photo capture = Chiba Lotte Marines SNS

Finally 'Monster'SASAKI Loki (23)'s time approaches. Sasaki will follow the path taken by Shohei Ohtani (30) of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Like Ohtani, he graduated from high school and joined, plays for five years and flies to follow his dreams. Since last year, scouts from Major League Baseball have checked Sasaki's every move on the backnet.

Sasaki's Chiba Lotte Marines completed all schedules this season on the 14th. In Game 3 of the Climax Series First Stage against the Nippon-Ham Fighters at Econ Field in Kitahiroshima, Hokkaido, they lost 2-5. After 1 win and 1 loss, he unfortunately lost in the last game. After winning the first game, he ended the series with two consecutive losses.

After the game, Matsumoto Naoki, head of the organization division of Chiba Lotte, told Japanese media "I have been talking with Sasaki every year (about the Major League) since I joined the team. I will talk about many things in the future. I'm going to do it one by one" he said.

It is read as meaning to allow entry into the Major League through the posting system. The team's top official has already "I want to help Sasaki advance to the major leagues." he once said. Sasaki did not comment on this day.

Sasaki, who finished his fifth year of joining the team, can leave the team through the posting system only when the club allows him to do so. Ahead of this season, the renewal of the contract was delayed due to conflicts with the club over the issue. He signed an annual salary contract on January 26, just before the start of the spring camp. Eventually, things are expected to go as Sasaki wishes.

Players under the age of 25 must sign a minor league contract even if they go to the Major League. The posting fee for the original club is only about $1 million. Clubs that have selected and invested players will suffer great losses. From the club's point of view, it is not an FA (free agent), but there is no reason to release the player, who is the club's asset, early. Of course, players also have to pay a low salary. Still, from the player's point of view, I want to try even a year earlier.

Seven years ago, Ohtani did the same. He played five years for the Nippon Ham and signed a six-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels after going through the posting system in the winter of 2017. Ahead of his high school graduation, he immediately sought to advance to the Major League, but Nippon Ham nominated him as the No. 1 rookie and persuaded him to join. At that time, all 30 teams in the Major League expressed interest in recruiting Ohtani.

Sasaki never met the stipulated innings for five seasons as a member of Chiba Lotte. This year, he was out of power for more than two months due to two injuries in May and June. Photo capture = Chiba Lotte Marines SNS

Ohtani was promised to go to the U.S. five years later when he signed for the team. There is a difference in this respect from Sasaki. He contributed to the team's victory with his pitching and hitting.

Sasaki started the first game of the first stage against Nippon Ham on the 12th and pitched eight innings without allowing nine strikeouts. He threw 112 pitches, reaching a maximum speed of 158 kilometers per hour. He showed perfect pitching that led to the team's victory.

Earlier on September 22, he pitched seven innings of two runs against the Seibu Lions and nine innings of one run against the Rakuten Eagles on October 1. At a time when he was fiercely competing with Rakuten for third place, he gave the team a boost.

Although he won 10 games for the first time this season, there are many critical opinions that the Major League challenge is premature.

After taking his first year off in 2020, he has never filled the regular innings (143 innings) in the past four years. He was out of power two or three times every year due to minor injuries. The record is 129 ⅓ innings in 2022 when he became the youngest person at 21 years of age to achieve 'Perfect Game'. He played 91 innings last year as Japan's representative of the World Baseball Classic (WBC), and pitched only 111 innings this year. This year, he was excluded from the entry for more than two months due to two injuries in May and June.

It is an attractive product that throws a fastball up to 165km/h, but it has durability problems. The risk seems to be greater because it is a 'fireballer' that throws a fastball.

Sasaki is a fastball pitcher who recorded the highest speed limit of 165 km in the Japanese professional baseball league. Last year, he played for Japan in the WBC and contributed to the championship. Reporter Heo Sang-wook

10-5 with a 2.35-129 ERA in 18 games. This is Sasaki's performance this season. He received an annual salary of 80 million yen (about 725 million won).

Meanwhile, manager Masato Yoshii (59) will lead Chiba Lotte for two more years. Coach Yoshii took office last year and led the team to fall baseball for the second consecutive year.

huelva@sportschosun.com