Roki Sasaki turned in another fantastic start for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and it was undoubtedly the best of his MLB career.
Sasaki pitched seven shutout innings against the Los Angeles Angels while allowing just two hits and striking out a career-high 10 batters. In addition, Sasaki maintained the increased velocity he showed in his previous start, reaching 100 mph multiple times.
Over his last four starts, Sasaki has now allowed just four earned runs over 24.1 innings pitched, good for a 1.47 ERA.
“I’ve been doing a lot of things from the offseason and making adjustments in-season too,” Sasaki said through interpreter Kensuke Okubo. “I feel like everything is coming together right now.”
As everything comes together for Sasaki, he’s able to pitch and execute the way he wants to. “I think because of that, everything’s kind of put together,” Sasaki said. “When I do that, I find a good rhythm out there. That kind of keeps me going.”
Among Sasaki’s adjustments are mechanical, and he’s also added around 20 pounds in the weight room. Sasaki previously attributed his fastball velocity to his better physical condition, but also added it’s been a variety of things.
Sasaki previously debuted a new hard splitter, and he’s combined that with a slower forkball, a quality slider, and a fastball that now plays up significantly with his increased velocity. In addition, he’s made changes to some of his pitch grips, and everything has clicked for him, leading to increased confidence and execution.
“There is an adjustment with the ball that he had to make with his grip,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “You can see his demeanor on the mound. There’s just no more doubt and uncertainty.”
After a rough 2025 season, Sasaki rebounded in the postseason and helped the Dodgers win the World Series. But in Spring Training this year, Sasaki looked like a Double-A pitcher at best.
He showed little to no signs of improvement, prompting questions about why the Dodgers were keeping him in the rotation. But the Dodgers remained patient and believed things would eventually turn around.
Roberts said his confidence in that stemmed from Sasaki’s postseason success last year. Will Smith added that Sasaki has been working hard and was determined to right the ship during his struggles.
“You can see the care factor, the drive he’s got,” Smith said. “It’s good to see the benefits right now.”
Dave Roberts increasing expectations for Roki Sasaki
With Sasaki’s breakout, the Dodgers seemingly have another ace in their rotation. Roberts said the floor has been raised for Sasaki, and he has high expectations for the right-hander each time he takes the ball.
“This is the guy that we saw on video in Japan, and we hoped to get,” Roberts said. “I think we are all guilty of expecting it to be seamless, and it’s certainly unfair to Roki, and not appreciating there has to be some transition period. He went through some tough times, some doubts, but he’s gotten to the other side.”
Sasaki was incredibly hyped when he arrived from Japan, and he’s someone MLB teams have been coveting for years. Now the Dodgers are seeing that player, whom president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said has the potential to be the best pitcher in the world.
“It’s not what I would say we expected; it’s what we heard,” Freddie Freeman said. “And then when you feel comfortable and confident, then you can start to expect things. “When you keep putting back-to-back starts like he’s been doing, that’s when the expectations kind of come along with it.”
Freeman also added that he’s been happy to see Sasaki achieve this success and return to his true talent after the struggles he’s endured.
“Roki has really turned the corner here and it’s fun to watch,” Freeman said. “Especially after last year grinding, coming back as a bullpen guy. He just looks great out there.”
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