Dodgers select Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki as their top draft pick.

The Dodgers' pitching rotation will receive a significant boost with the addition of Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, who announced on Friday that he will be playing for the team.

The 23-year-old announced on Instagram that he has signed a minor-league contract with the organization. The Chiba Lotte Marines, Saski's Japanese team, will receive compensation from the MLB franchise.

In the past year, Saski has become the latest Japanese-born superstar to land in Los Angeles, following in the footsteps of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Ohtani, who was exclusively a designated hitter in 2024, won his third career MVP trophy. He plans to return to the pitching mound in 2025.

Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers' president of baseball operations, previously stated that signing Sasaki was a top priority.

Saski, a young pitcher with elite talent, was highly sought after by teams. However, the Dodgers were long considered the favorites to sign him due to his fastball that regularly exceeds 100-mph and his ability to throw a splitter.

In December, during the winter meetings, numerous MLB teams submitted information about their organizations to Saski and Wasserman, his agency. Although several teams received in-person meetings, only three organizations were shortlisted. By January, the Toronto Blue Jays, San Diego Padres, and Dodgers were the final teams being considered.

L.A. signed Blake Snell, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, to their projected pitching rotation, which already included Tyler Glasnow, Yamamoto, Ohtani, and Clayton Kershaw.

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