Roki Sasaki has fallen back down to earth a bit in June after an encouraging performance last month that was much-needed for the Los Angeles Dodgers rotation.
The regression has been driven by the resurfacing of old issues, primarily poor control and too many walks. Friday’s game was a particularly wild outing for Sasaki, as the right-hander threw about 56% of his pitches for strikes and tied a career high with five walks.
Sasaki attributed the performance to poor mechanics but added that he felt off-kilter in a way he had never experienced before, according to Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group.
“Today’s game I really struggled to throw strikes. There’s a lot of things I need to work on and I need to go over that,” Sasaki said through his interpreter.
“I actually felt different than I never felt before, mechanically. So I need to go over it and see what was really happening. But overall I am trending in the right direction so I’m just going to keep working on it.”
Sasaki’s splitter was particularly ineffective Friday, generating a 33% strike rate and a 26% chase rate. For reference, those same figures on June 5 were 78% and 53%, respectively.
It hasn’t been all bad for Sasaki this month, he started out on the right foot with his impressive outing against the Los Angeles Angels and a serviceable game against the Baltimore Orioles. But in other two appearances showed he remains far from a finished product.
Overall, the 24-year-old has a 5.57 ERA in 21 innings this month after posting a 3.18 ERA in May.
Repeatable mechanics are important for any pitcher, but it has been a difference maker for Sasaki this season. Finding his mechanics last month is what jump-started Sasaki’s improvement in 2026.
He has also begun to develop a Major League mindset on the mound, which has kept him competitive in games that would have gotten away from him last season.
Roki Sasaki enjoys listening to Justin Bieber
Sasaki’s improvement this season can also be credited to his physical preparation in the weight room.
The Japanese right-hander has shown a great level of dedication to the strength and conditioning program this season. The curated environment he prefers while working out includes songs by Justin Bieber.
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