Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees' Potential Offseason Target Receives Cy Young Comparison

A Japanese superstar that the New York Yankees could target this offseason was given some of the highest praise a pitcher can receive.

Grant Young

Mar 20, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Japan starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (14) delivers a pitch during the first inning against Mexico at LoanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Mar 20, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Japan starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (14) delivers a pitch during the first inning against Mexico at LoanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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The last MLB offseason's biggest story was centered around two Japanese players: Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Despite the New York Yankees having tried to sign both superstars, they both ended up inking deals with the Los Angeles Dodgers instead.

While the story of this upcoming offseason is going to center around current Yankees slugger Juan Soto, there's another Japanese superstar who, if he gets posted by his Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) club, will become one of baseball's most sought-after players this winter.

We're talking about Roki Sasaki; a 22-year-old pitcher who has amassed a 2.12 career ERA in four seasons spent playing for Japan's Chiba Lotte Marines. He was also an integral part of Team Japan's 2023 World Baseball Classic-winning squad, posting a 1–0 record with a 3.52 ERA and 11 strikeouts across 7.2 innings pitched.

A September 12 article from Mark Feinsand of MLB.com deemed the Yankees a top potential fit for Sasaki.

And if Sasaki's staggering stats weren't enough to excite Yankees fans about potentially securing this budding megastar, a comparison that an anonymous MLB executive made in a September 22 article from Bob Nightengale of USA Today certainly will.

“He is a healthy Jacob deGrom," the executive said of Sasaki in the article, “only better. He might have the best stuff I’ve ever seen.’’

Hearing a 22-year-old get compared to former New York Mets ace and current Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob DeGrom — who is a two-time NL Cy Young award winner and has arguably been baseball's best pitcher over the past decade — is definitely enough to catch Yankees fans' attention.

A few dominoes still need to fall for Sasaki to be wearing pinstripes next season. The first one is whether Sasaki gets posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines this winter. If he does, then New York will likely come calling.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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