fireballer

They have two high-profile Japanese players other than Ohtani in opening-day starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto and rookie fireballer Roki Sasaki.

General manager Brandon Gomes compared the 102.5-mph fireballer to Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

There’s no way the 23-year-old fireballer hasn’t thought about whether he wants to play with Shohei Ohtani or against him.

More than 70% of his pitches were either cutters or sinkers, an uncharacteristic mix for the former fireballer.

The feisty former fireballer is more interested in what drove him most throughout his big-league career: winning games.