20 year old Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki just pitched a game for the ages. The phenom tied a Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) record with 19 strikeouts, while also recording 16th perfect game in league history.
Adding a cherry on top, the right hander sat down 13 consecutive batters via strikeout to set a new NPB record in the process as well. Sasaki’s fastball topped 100mph several times in the game against the Orix Buffaloes, as he needed only 105 pitches to get through the matchup.
Sasaki signed with the Chiba Lotte Marines as an 18 year old, and reupped this offseason for a reported $30M Yen in 2022. The hard throwing prospect has drawn interest from multiple MLB clubs but has yet to announce any intentions to test his mettle in North America.
Originally taken first overall in the 2019 NPB draft, “The Monster of the Reiwa” has a fastball that tops out at 102mph and recently added several high level offspeed pitches to his repertoire. Sasaki’s ability to make hitters look foolish was on full display in the Marines 6-0 victory.
Marines Manager Tadahito Iguchi told reporters “He’s doing well, but having a game like this at such an early stage of his career is remarkable… I don’t think there is anyone who had any doubts about him, and today not even walking a batter, that’s just added emphasis.”
The 6’3” hurler also posted the 94th no-hitter in NPB history in his team’s win.
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