There's not much question that while Major League Baseball remains the most prestigious and competitive league in the world, several other international professional leagues have closed the gap. In light of this,

MLB teams have coveted Roki Sasaki since he broke Shohei Ohtani's Japanese high school record by reaching 101 mph with his fastball as a 17-year-old in 2019, part of a 194-pitch, 12-inning, 21-strikeout complete game in the national summer Koshien tournament.

The Los Angeles Dodgers were always the favorites to sign Roki Sasaki, but it wasn't because there was a deal already in place like many critics speculated.

Because those two outlets opted to rank Sasaki as a legitimate prospect, the Dodgers can officially receive a significant draft pick should Sasaki make their Opening Day roster (or be promoted in the first two weeks of the season) and either win Rookie of the Year or place in the top 3 of MVP or Cy Young voting in any of the next three seasons.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have Roki Sasaki, but a new Japanese player named Munetaka Murakami is now getting attention.

Had Sasaki, 23, made a different decision and gone with the Yankees instead of the Dodgers, Cedeno — and some of the other top Yankee signees — likely would have ended up elsewhere, since Sasaki would have taken up most of their $6.2 million pool.

In his first year as a Dodger, Sasaki will earn the league minimum of $760,000 after classifying as an international amateur.

It was always a longshot for Minnesota to become the new home for 23-year-old phenom Roki Sasaki, but a local Twins blogger is now feeling the full weight of yet another dream lost to the dreaded Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have quickly become the most hated franchise in Major League Baseball over the past few seasons. Their ridiculous amount of spending on

San Diego Padres owners claim that a lawsuit filed by the late owner's wife impacted their ability to sign star pitcher Roki Sasaki in free agency.