Could the next Japanese phenom choose the Houston Astros as their first MLB club?

The Houston Astros have been a powerhouse for years, but they are getting old. Could Japan’s next megastar serve as the team’s fountain of youth?

Roki Sasaki’s journey to the MLB from Japan is more of a “when” than an “if” and almost every team is going to enter the lottery.

Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post made it clear that Sasaki would return to MLB sooner rather than later. Here’s what Janes said about pitchers’ excitement about coming to America:

“Because he is so impatient and because MLB teams are so eager for what he can offer, Sasaki seems almost certain to eschew tradition by pushing to leave for the United States sooner than almost n “any other Nippon Professional Baseball player.”

MLB teams have become aware of his arrival and are starting to prepare for his arrival. We still don’t know exactly when he will come.

Currently, the 6-foot-4 sensation is 22 years old. If he decides to leave before the age of 25, he will be subject to the international signing pool for each team, which means a limited budget.

His arrival will be one of the biggest stories in recent baseball history, bigger than that of Yoshinobu Yamamoto last season.

In four years and 59 games in NPB, Sasaki has an absurd 1.94 ERA and a WHIP of 0.856. He has a 103 MPH fastball and excellent breaking balls that make him very difficult to hit. He is the most anticipated foreign prospect since Shohei Ohtani and for good reason.

Houston hasn’t been a top pursuer for top Japanese free agents due to money concerns. With Sasaki potentially signing with the international pool, they could plan more easily in the short term.

The historic dominance the Astros have had in the AL over the past decade should have them fresh in the minds of all top free agents. The continued struggles in terms of ability and health in their starting rotation should only motivate them to finally pursue a top-tier Japanese free agent.