Bryan Hoch of MLB.com was on SNY this evening to discuss various Yankees-related topics, and among them was Roki Sasaki, who granted New York a meeting. While the Dodgers and Padres are perceived favorites for the star right-hander from Japan, the Yankees feel as if they have a realistic shot at winning the sweepstakes according to Hoch, who mentioned that the team was confident in their proposal to the young ace. Sasaki is coming over from Japan’s Nippon Baseball League and boasts some of the best upside in the entire world on the mound.
With a fastball that can sit in the upper 90s and touch 103 MPH, there are many in the baseball world who view him as a Cy Young winner in the making, and the Yankees are among a long list of teams who would love to add him onto their roster.
Yankees Remain Confident In Roki Sasaki Sweepstakes Despite Uphill Battle
Most people covering the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes are under the impression that the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres have a massive leg-up due to their geographical location on the West Coast. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the right-hander end up with either team as many Asian-born players who come over to the United States end up preferring a West Coast destination due to proximity to the continent among other variables.
What further adds to the general pessimism around the Yankees’ odds of landing Roki Sasaki is the overwhelming industry belief that he will end up with the Dodgers due to their excellent organizational strength. Joel Wolfe has repeatedly mentioned that Sasaki is steering the ship on these negotiations, and more importantly, that being the best he can be is a huge selling point.
After winning the 2024 World Series, it’s quite difficult to argue that the Dodgers can’t provide the exact environment that Roki Sasaki would covet for being the best. They’ve developed plenty of talent, they have two Japanese superstars, and they’ve become the model franchise of Major League Baseball, but the Yankees believe their proposal is strong enough to win the Sasaki sweepstakes despite being underdogs.
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Pitching Coordinator Sam Briend and Pitching Coach Matt Blake are two of the best in the industry in terms of pitching development, and with the reigning AL Rookie of the Year in Luis Gil, the Yankees can flex their developmental strength as well. They also have a storied history with Japanese players such as Hideki Matsui and Masahiro Tanaka, the latter being a hero to Roki Sasaki who idolized the former Bronx Bomber growing up.
The Padres have a leg-up here as well with Yu Darvish being a player that Roki Sasaki idolized as well, and unlike Tanaka, he’s an active player on the roster. What does help the Yankees potentially is the absence of another Japanese star, as that does hurt advertisement opportunities for Sasaki, and there is perhaps no better place to market your brand than with a global enterprise like the New York Yankees.
While the Yankees cannot claim they’ve been more competitive than the Dodgers in the last decade, the aforementioned marketing issues could play into New York’s favor. In comparison to the Padres, the Yankees can offer a more stable situation, as San Diego is dealing with a massive ownership conflict and lawsuit at the moment. The Mets, Cubs, Rangers, and Giants are all in the mix as well, although Andy Martino poured cold water on Sasaki coming to Queens.
League sources aren’t optimistic about the Mets’ chances per SNY, and not much is known about how San Francisco, Chicago, or Texas feel about their odds. Jon Morosi of MLB Network mentioned that at least one additional team has joined the mix, but its unclear who it is and how many teams have gotten meetings. The secrecy of the process has created tons of mystery, but as long as the Yankees are in it, they have a chance.
Whether it amounts to landing a 22-year-old phenom or not remains to be seen, but the Yankees won’t find out for at least another week.