Roki Sasaki is set to join the MLB next year, and the Padres are predicted to outrun the Dodgers in the race to sign the Japanese star.

The chase for Japanese superstar pitcher Roki Sasaki has intensified, with several MLB teams granted meetings with the phenom. While both the New York Yankees and New York Mets made their pitches, the consensus remains that the West Coast powerhouses—the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres—are the favorites to land Sasaki.

The Yankees will have an in-person meeting with Japanese righty Roki Sasaki at some point "soon," GM Brian Cashman told ESPN on Wednesday. Sasaki, our No. 7 free agent, will not sign with a team until the 2025 international signing period opens on Jan.