The Los Angeles Dodgers found their new closer during the course of the 2025 postseason in the form of Roki Sasaki, which was a much needed answer to their roster’s biggest weakness.
Sasaki’s appearances during the National League Championship Series were not as sharp as the first two rounds of the playoffs, but he still converted a save in Game 3 and recorded the final three outs in Game 4 to send L.A. to the World Series.
Sasaki’s drop in fastball velocity from the NL Division Series to the NLCS was on the Dodgers’ radar following Game 1 against the Milwaukee Brewers. He did see some better results in Game 3, maxing out at 99.8 mph and averaging 98.9 mph. But there was another dip — albeit modest — in Game 4, as Sasaki averaged 97.9 mphh on his fastball.
For reference, he averaged 99.5 mph and maxed out at 100.7 mph during his three innings against the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS.
Sasaki should be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Dodgers’ layoff between the NLCS and start of the World Series on Friday.
Overall, the rookie right-hander has been excellent in the playoffs, with only five baserunners allowed and one earned run across eight innings of work.
As the new closer, Sasaki also has a different entrance song that plays at Dodger Stadium when he enters from the bullpen. With a little help from Miguel Rojas, Sasaki landed on “Bailalo Rocky” as his choice.
“I think the song itself suits him really well,” Rojas told DodgerBlue.com. “As soon as I saw that song come out around Spring Training, I played it for him every single day in the weight room. I wanted him to use it.
“He didn’t use it at the beginning, I don’t know what was the reason. But I thought it was going to be huge for the fans and the vibes in the dugout. I think everybody vibes to it.
“Now that he’s a closer, even better. You can hear it at the most important part of the a game, which is three outs away from winning the game. I’m happy he rolled with it. I hope he can use it four more times before we win.”
Phonetically it sounds like the song is addressing Sasaki by his first name, which is likely why Rojas recommended the song.
While the lyrics are in Spanish, the message isn’t all that complicated and its repeated constantly.
“I think so,” Rojas said when asked if Sasaki understands the lyrics. “It’s not that hard. It’s just, dance Roki.”
Miguel Rojas wants Roki Sasaki to dance to “Bailalo Rocky”
Rojas has made it his personal mission to get Sasaki to dance to the song, and the best way to make that happen is by the Dodgers winning four more games.
“I don’t know if he’s danced yet, but I’ll make him dance if we win the World Series,” Rojas said.
The Dodgers infielder is pretty confident that Sasaki is athletic enough to put a good dance routine together.
“Oh, yeah. For sure. He can pitch, he can throw 100 miles per hour, he can lift his leg almost to his face. I think he can dance for sure,” Rojas said.
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