In just his third start of his Major League career, Roki Sasaki has shown strong improvement compared to his first two outings.
Early Struggles and Adjustments
Back in Tokyo, Sasaki tossed three innings of one-run ball in his initial debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Since coming back to Los Angeles, the Japanese phenom allowed a pair of runs across just 1 ⅔ innings in the team’s final game against the Detroit Tigers on Saturday, March 29.
One week later, the 23-year-old proved his capability at Citizens Bank in Saturday’s game against the Phillies. In the Dodgers’ 3-1 win, Sasaki held the Phillies to one run on three hits and two walks across over four innings. The right-hander struck out four and exited in the fifth.
Despite the roaring boos through Citizens Bank Park, Sasaki left today’s game feeling much more confident than his previous two starts.
“I felt like last time around I did want to throw strikes but I couldn’t, so I really worked on the mechanical side of the game… I was able to do that today,” Sasaki said through interpreter Will Ireton in an interview with SportsNet LA.
Building Confidence & Living Up to Expectations
With his upper-90s mph fastball and his impressive splitter, the Dodgers were eager to sign the Japanese pitcher straight to the big leagues from Japan. Yet Dodgers manager, Dave Roberts, reportedly ‘knew what he signed up for’ signing a rookie pitcher and skipping over the minor leagues.
The team recognized that Sasaki is still a developing talent with areas that need improvement, but his standout fastball and exceptional splitter made his call to the Major Leagues inevitable.
When asked how his splitter improves when he’s able to throw strikes, the pitcher said, “I also feel like it’s more about my split command… I felt a lot better about the command of my split, that helped a lot today,” in an interview with SportsNet LA.
Since his MLB debut, Sasaki was finally able to drive a fastball to the right locations rather than missing the strike zone. He effectively went after hitters at-bat, setting up his nasty splitter which Roberts had been anticipating since the rookie was signed to the team.
“He kept his composure, his poise and just kept executing pitches,” Roberts said in a report from the LA Times. “Just kind of leaving the outing wanting more, I think that’s a good thing for him.”
His teammates were equally excited to see his level of improvement and boost in confidence just one week after his outing with the Tigers.
“Everything is under a microscope right now because of all the hype,” utility player Kike Hernández said in a report from the LA Times. “But if it was any other random name who struggled through their first two starts, nobody would be making a big deal out of it. So, I think the kid’s going to be more than all right, and he showed that today.”
Hernández helped the 3-1 defeat against the Phillies, when he blasted a two-run homer in the second inning.
Describing Sasaki’s performance, third baseman Max Muncy said, “that was the guy we were waiting to see.”
The 23-year-old’s standout performance in Saturday’s game silenced any doubts about the Dodgers’ decision to sign the Japanese phenom. It proved to skeptics that he doesn’t need time in the minors to progress his skill before showing off in the Major Leagues.
