Rōki Sasaki's Dodgers Contract Has MLB Fans Hyping LA as 2025 World Series Favorite

Japanese pitching sensation Rōki Sasaki announced on Instagram that he has chosen to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The 23-year-old Sasaki is a two-time NPB All-Star who pitched four seasons for the Chiba Lotte Marines. He went 30-15 with a 2.02 ERA (0.88 WHIP) while posting an 11.4 K/9 rate over 69 games.

Sasaki made international waves in 2022 for pitching a 19-strikeout perfect game.

Three years later, he'll be in the Dodgers' rotation as L.A. looks for back-to-back World Series titles.

The Dodgers were World Series favorites before adding Sasaki, but they've created a bigger gap between them and the rest of the league with this latest move.

Per DraftKings Sportsbook, the Dodgers are +320 favorites to win the World Series. That gives them 23.81 percent implied odds, per Action Network. The Atlanta Braves are next at +800, followed by the New York Yankees at +850.

Needless to say, fans and analysts alike are hyping the Dodgers right now.

The Dodgers open their season on March 18 in Tokyo for a two-game series against the Chicago Cubs.