On a random Sunday in April 2022, a 20-year-old kid in Chiba, Japan, didn’t just pitch a great game. He basically broke the sport of baseball for nine innings. Most people know the headline: Roki Sasaki threw a perfect game. But if you just look at the final score, you’re missing why this specific performance is widely considered the most dominant pitching display in the history of professional baseball—not just in Japan, but anywhere on the planet.
It happened at Zozo Marine Stadium. The Chiba Lotte Marines were playing the Orix Buffaloes. By the time the final out was recorded, Sasaki hadn't just retired 27 batters in a row. He had tied the NPB record with 19 strikeouts and set a world record by striking out 13 consecutive hitters. Think about that. For nearly five full innings, not a single person even put a ball in play.
Honestly, it felt like a glitch in a video game.
The Day the "Monster of Reiwa" Arrived
The nickname "Monster of Reiwa" isn't just marketing fluff. It’s a reference to the current imperial era in Japan, positioning Sasaki as the successor to Daisuke Matsuzaka (the "Monster of Heisei"). But even Matsuzaka or Shohei Ohtani never did what Sasaki did that afternoon.
Sasaki was sitting at 100-102 mph with his fastball. Frequently. That's scary enough, but his "forkball"—which functions more like a disappearing splitter—was what truly tortured the Orix lineup. It looks like a heater until it’s about five feet from the plate, at which point it just falls off a cliff.
What most people get wrong about this game is the idea that he got lucky. In many perfect games, there’s a spectacular diving catch or a hard-hit ball that happens to go right at a defender. Sasaki didn't need any of that. Only eight batters in the entire game even managed to make contact. The rest were just swinging at ghosts.
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The 13 Straight Strikeouts
The streak is the part that still feels fake. From the second out of the first inning through the end of the fifth, every single out was a strikeout.
- 13 in a row. - The previous MLB record was 10 (held by Corbin Burnes, Tom Seaver, and Aaron Nola).
- Sasaki didn't just beat the record; he demolished it.
He was pitching to an 18-year-old rookie catcher named Ko Matsukawa. Imagine the pressure on that kid. You’ve got the best arm in the world throwing absolute gas, and you're responsible for calling the most historic game in 28 years. They are the youngest battery to ever throw a perfect game, which is a stat that doesn't get nearly enough love.
Why the Follow-Up Start Was Actually Crazier
Here is the part that really blows people's minds. A week later, Sasaki took the mound again against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. He threw eight more perfect innings.
Yeah. He was perfect for 17 consecutive innings across two starts.
But then his manager, Tadahito Iguchi, did something that would have caused a riot in a Major League stadium: he pulled him. The game was tied 0-0, Sasaki was at 102 pitches, and the Marines didn't want to risk his arm. He had retired 52 consecutive batters across those two appearances, an all-time professional record.
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Some fans were furious. They wanted the second consecutive perfect game—something that has never happened in the history of professional baseball. But the Marines have always been protective of Sasaki. They didn't even let him pitch his first year out of high school. They were playing the long game.
The Tragic Backstory Nobody Talks About
It’s easy to look at a guy throwing 102 mph and see a superhero, but Sasaki’s journey is heavy. He’s from Rikuzentakata, a town that was basically wiped off the map by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.
He was in third grade. He lost his father and his grandparents in the disaster. His family home was swept away. When he talks about gratitude or staying focused, it’s not just athlete-speak. He’s someone who has seen the absolute worst life can throw at you, which might explain why he looks so unbothered when he’s facing the best hitters in Japan.
What This Means for 2026 and Beyond
By now, you've likely heard the rumors or seen the news: Sasaki is no longer just a Japanese phenomenon. After years of speculation, the transition to Major League Baseball became the biggest story in the sport.
The Jump to the Dodgers
It’s 2026, and the "Super Team" in Los Angeles has somehow added another nuke to their arsenal. Seeing Sasaki in a Dodgers uniform alongside Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto feels like a fever dream for baseball fans. But the transition hasn't been a total cakewalk.
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- The Workload: In Japan, pitchers usually go once a week. In the MLB, it’s a five-day rotation. Sasaki’s "glass arm" reputation—fair or not—meant the Dodgers had to be careful.
- The Ball: The MLB ball is slicker and slightly larger than the NPB ball. Learning to grip that 100-mph splitter with the same consistency took him most of the 2025 season to master.
- The Bullpen Experiment: During the 2025 World Series run, we saw Sasaki move to the bullpen as a "super reliever." It was terrifying. Coming in for two innings and just cranking the velocity to the max? Nobody could touch him.
But now, as we head into the 2026 season, the word from Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes is clear: Sasaki is a starter. Period. He’s back in the rotation, and the league is finally going to see if he can maintain that "perfect game" dominance over a full 162-game grind.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're trying to track the next chapter of the Roki Sasaki saga, here's how to actually follow the "Monster" without getting lost in the hype:
- Watch the Splitter Usage: When Sasaki is struggling, his splitter stays up in the zone. If he’s burying it in the dirt, the game is already over for the hitters.
- Velocity vs. Efficiency: During his perfect game, he only needed 105 pitches. In the MLB, he’s had a tendency to nibble at corners, driving his pitch count up. Look for games where he’s aggressive early in the count; those are his "perfecto" profile starts.
- Rotation Schedule: With Ohtani and Yamamoto also in the mix, the Dodgers often use a six-man rotation to keep everyone healthy. This is the best environment for Sasaki to eventually chase another perfect game.
The Roki Sasaki perfect game wasn't a fluke—it was a warning. We are watching a guy who is still figuring out how high his ceiling actually is. If you ever get the chance to see him pitch in person, take it. You might just see history repeat itself.
Next Steps:
- Check the current Dodgers rotation schedule to see Sasaki's next scheduled start.
- Look up the "James Game Score" for his recent outings to see how they compare to his 106-score perfect game.
- Watch the 13-strikeout highlight reel on YouTube to see the specific movement on his forkball.