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.

After much speculation, the hard-throwing Japanese pitcher posts his decision on Instagram, choosing to play with countrymen Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Los Angeles.

The news has been broken by countless outlets. Baseball social media is in a frenzy. If you’re here to learn that Roki Sasaki has signed a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, welcome.