Surprise, surprise: Japan’s next Roki Sasaki already has his sights set on Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers have quickly become the most hated franchise in Major League Baseball over the past 12 months or so. Their ridiculous amount of spending on big-name free agents, a large amount of deferred money and acquisitions of multiple superstars from Japan have helped them build a superteam, one that doesn't show any signs of slowing down.

While the Dodgers are most certainly set to win now, Andrew Friedman has made clear that it's never too early to start thinking about the future. So while the team is still basking in the afterglow of landing Japanese ace Roki Sasaki in a heated bidding war, that hasn't stopped L.A. from setting its sights on the next pitcher looking to cross the Pacific.

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Japanese star Hiroto Takahashi looks to have the Dodgers in his sights

With Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki both out of NPB and now in the Dodgers rotation, pitcher Hiroto Takahashi has assumed the mantle of best pitcher in the league. Over the last three seasons with the Chunichi Dragons, Takahashi has a 25-22 record with two complete-game shutouts and a stunning 2.10 ERA. 2024 was his best season yet, as he went 12-4 with a 1.38 ERA in 143.2 innings of work. He's still just 22, so it's unclear when exactly he might want to make the jump to the Majors. If he does, though, you can guess which team he'd like to play for.

Earlier this week, Takahashi was spotted at a team practice wearing a Dodgers shirt and hat. Of course, it is strictly speculation at this point that Takahashi is interested in coming to L.A. But it's also hard to imagine why he wouldn't, which is a scary thought for the rest of the league.