Japanese Phenom Roki Sasaki Throws Perfect NPB Game

[Wolverine]

This deserves its own thread:

Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki, 20, throws 19-strikeout perfect game in record-setting performance​

ESPN

Pitching phenom Roki Sasaki had 19 strikeouts while throwing a perfect game in a record-setting performance Sunday in Japan's top professional league.

Sasaki, 20, recorded the first perfect game in Nippon Professional Baseball since 1994 and the 16th in league history, according to multiple Japanese media outlets.

Sasaki, a right-hander for the Chiba Lotte Marines, tied an NPB record with his 19 strikeouts against the Orix Buffaloes. He also struck out 13 consecutive batters at one point, a record in Japanese pro baseball, according to Kyodo News.

"This is the greatest," Sasaki said after the game, according to multiple outlets. "Honestly, I wasn't thinking about the possibility [of a perfect game]. I figured it would be OK if I gave up a hit, so I just pitched and put my trust in [catcher Ko] Matsukawa right until the end."

Featuring a fastball that routinely topped 100 mph and a devastating forkball, Sasaki needed 105 pitches to log the 94th no-hitter in Japanese pro baseball history and the first since Aug. 15, 2020, according to Kyodo News. It was NPB's first perfect game since May 18, 1994, according to Kyodo.

Marines manager Tadahito Iguchi told reporters there are no "doubts" about Sasaki's talent and also praised Matsukawa, the Marines' 18-year-old rookie catcher.

"This is not something everyone can go through, so it's a great experience," Iguchi told reporters. "I have to give credit to Matsukawa for calling such a great game and doing a solid job with the bat as well. The two of them are quite a battery."

Sasaki rose to prominence as a high school pitcher thanks to his high-velocity fastball and reportedly drew widespread interest from Major League Baseball teams before signing with Chiba Lotte in 2020 at age 18.

"He's doing well, but having a game like this at such an early stage of his career is remarkable," Iguchi said. "I don't think there is anyone who had any doubts about him, and today not even walking a batter, that's just added emphasis."

That is an incredible beat by Sasaki, to throw a perfect game! The first NPB pitcher since 1994 to do so.

Here's a video showing all 19 strikeouts:

 

[Chris]

19 strikeouts holy shit

 

[Rosie]

19 strikeouts holy shit

No big deal, I do it all the time in MLB The Show~

Just kidding, but 19 Ks in a perfect game! Jeez, like that is probably one of the best games ever pitched.

 

[Swerve]

Congrats to him. What a performance!

 

[Barry Poppins]

19 strikeouts are just over 2 per inning; the fact he didn't allow a hit or a walk in any of those times on base is nothing short of fucking astounding.

With 105 pitches for all of his game, that's 11.5~ pitches per inning on average; that means per strikeout; 5.5 pitches per strikeout which would mean that the strikeouts likely happened on a 3-2 count, that's a 22.3% chance of the fifth pitch being a strikeout.

22.3% divided 19 times... 1.2% chance of scoring 19 strikeouts in a 9-inning game.

The mathematics really do nothing here, other than explain just how fucking insane this statistic really is.

 

[Rosie]

19 strikeouts are just over 2 per inning; the fact he didn't allow a hit or a walk in any of those times on base is nothing short of fucking astounding.

With 105 pitches for all of his game, that's 11.5~ pitches per inning on average; that means per strikeout; 5.5 pitches per strikeout which would mean that the strikeouts likely happened on a 3-2 count, that's a 22.3% chance of the fifth pitch being a strikeout.

22.3% multiplied 19 times... 1.2% chance of scoring 19 strikeouts in a 9-inning game.

The mathematics really do nothing here, other than explain just how fucking insane this statistic really is.

It's video game level. Like I'd imagine the only way we'd see it is freaking is in a game as a 99 overall pitcher against double-a guys. The single game record I believe is 20, so he was one off it and pitched perfection.

 

[Barry Poppins]

Yeah, the maximum possibility of scoring strikeouts is actually infinite, but that is contingent on A.) A pitcher staying out all game, and B.) the game always going into extra innings, never-ending.

In a 9-inning game, 27 strikeouts is the maximum possibility. There is only one player on record to ever achieve that feat: Ron Necciai; the major difference was that he was a minor league baseball player, and did not achieve this against major league talent.