Monday night’s World Baseball Classic semifinal inbetween Japan and Mexico was one of the more amazing videogames of the whole competition. But from the really starting, MLB fans were tuning in to watch one gamer (and no, it wasn’t Shohei Ohtani).
Japan pitching phenom Roki Sasaki made his veryfirst start on U.S. soil in Japan’s ultimate 6-5 win, and the 21-year-old didn’t dissatisfy.
Sasaki triggered worldwide attention last year when he tossed the veryfirst NPB ideal videogame because 1994 and tossed an extra 8 ideal innings the following start priorto getting pulled due to pitch count. He boasts a fastball that tops out at 103 milesperhour and an already-elite splitter.
Monday was the veryfirst time lotsof MLB fans had a opportunity to see Sasaki pitch versus top competitors, and it didn’t take long for their jaws to jointly drop. He began the videogame with a strikeout of Randy Arozarena, blowing a 102 milesperhour fastball right by him.
102.
Roki Sasaki is not messing around tonight 😳🔥 pic.twitter.com/yIP4FHjCbh
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 20, 2023
Nearly every fastball he tossed was at least 100 milesperhour. He wasn’t messing around.
79 seconds of Roki Sasaki’s 100mph Fastballs (or greater). ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/VGHphmJTIt
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 21, 2023
So Roki Sasaki last night:
⚾️26 pitches 100MPH+
⚾️4sm *averaged101.5 MPH. He tossed 29.
⚾️ 59 of 64 pitches tossed 90 MPH+I was thrilled to see him pitch and yet I was not ready for *thatpic.twitter.com/F7znDPbLBC
— Mike Petriello (@mike_petriello) March 21, 2023
Of course, the night wasn