Sasaki's nickname is a tribute to legendary Japanese starting pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, who was known as the "Monster of the Heisei," referring to different eras of the Japanese calendar. The 23-year-old lost both his father and grandfather during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

Japanese pitching sensation Roki Sasaki will sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he announced on his Instagram page Friday evening. The highly coveted 23-year-old right-hander joins the Dodgers after a stellar four-year stint with the Chiba Lotte Marines in Nippon Professional Baseball.