CHIBA (Kyodo) -- Star pitcher Roki Sasaki thanked the Lotte Marines and their fans Sunday in his first public appearance since the club announced it will post him for a move to Major League Baseball this offseason.

Many MLB clubs are expected to woo the 23-year-old right-hander, who was Lotte's first-round pick in the 2019 draft and has a 29-15 career record with a 2.10 ERA over four seasons with the Marines.

Speaking at a fan event at Lotte's home ground, Zozo Marine Stadium in Chiba, near Tokyo, Sasaki vowed to "do my best in the United States."

"All of the warm encouragement and tough love I've received will give me strength," he said.

Lotte manager Masato Yoshii, who pitched in MLB, introduced Sasaki at the event and urged Marines fans to continue supporting him.

"We have a player who will leave the Marines and challenge himself to reach new heights," Yoshii said. "I would like to give him a warm send-off."

Renowned as Japan's hardest-throwing pitcher, the talented but injury-prone Sasaki threw a perfect game in April 2022 against the Orix Buffaloes.

Reflecting on his time in Chiba, Sasaki said there had been ups and downs but he was grateful for the support he received.

"There were times when things didn't go well because of injuries and other reasons, but I was able to get through them thanks to the support of the manager, coaches, teammates, staff, and many other people," he said.

Fans loudly applauded Sasaki and voiced their encouragement, with some shouting, "Ganbare" meaning "do your best" in Japanese.