For the second consecutive winter, a Japanese baseball star has announced his marriage to a private individual on Instagram shortly after joining the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Last year, it was Shohei Ohtani. This year, it is Roki Sasaki.
During his initial spring training with the Dodgers, the talented pitcher shared on Instagram that he had recently tied the knot with a woman:
The somewhat rough translation from his Instagram post:
Thank you for your ongoing support.
The other day, I officially became the husband of an ordinary woman.
This marks a new chapter in both our personal and professional lives. We are filled with a mix of excitement and nervousness, but we are committed to working hard together as a team. We hope for your continued support and kindness.
It is important to note that in this context, “ordinary” indicates that Sasaki married someone who is not a public figure or someone well-known to fans.
Similarly to Ohtani’s situation last year, where he revealed the identity of his “ordinary” wife, former professional basketball player Mamiko Tanaka, Sasaki may unveil his wife’s identity during the Tokyo Series next month.
Aside from his marriage announcement, Sasaki is currently in Arizona preparing for his highly anticipated MLB debut. The right-handed pitcher is regarded as one of the most promising pitching prospects in recent baseball history, with experts comparing him to Stephen Strasburg and Paul Skenes. While his health poses some concerns, his potential in the game is immense.
The Dodgers secured Sasaki with a $6.5 million signing bonus, a bargain deal as he joined the team two years earlier than he could have signed a lucrative contract.
Similar to Ohtani, Sasaki chose to announce his decision via Instagram before any official reports surfaced.
In the NPB, Sasaki relied heavily on his fastball, which reached the upper 90s and occasionally exceeded 100 mph, along with a highly effective splitter. He has been refining a slider over the past year, but the major question remains whether he can endure a full MLB season, having never pitched more than 130 innings in Japan.