It hasn’t been an easy transition for Los Angeles Dodgers phenom Roki Sasaki.
The 23-year-old Japanese phenom has struggled with command, allowing 11 walks in just 8 2/3 innings across his first three MLB starts.
His American debut proved particularly rough. Sasaki was pulled after only 1 2/3 innings against the Detroit Tigers, surrendering three hits, four walks and two earned runs. Cameras caught him teary-eyed in the dugout afterward, with the footage quickly spreading across social media.
Sasaki showed resilience in his third start, bouncing back on the road against the Philadelphia Phillies. He recorded four strikeouts over four innings while walking just two batters and yielding a single run.
The Dodgers anticipated growing pains as Sasaki faces MLB competition for the first time. But what exactly constitutes success for their international investment?
“I think the bigger takeaway from Sasaki’s first two starts is that if he can go out there and pitch four halfway decent innings, the Dodgers will accept that,” Newsweek’s National MLB writer J.P. Hoornstra told Sportsnaut’s “The Deferrals” podcast. “They’ll take that as a sign of necessary growth for this guy who they’ve invested at least the next six years in. And they’ll just take what comes because, frankly, their lineup should be able to paper over any mistakes that Sasaki makes.”
According to Hoornstra, the organization’s focus remains fixed on Sasaki’s development trajectory rather than immediate results.
“It’s not so much what Sasaki was able to do in March or April so much as what he’s going to be in October and whether or not that guy’s in the playoff rotation for the Dodgers and if not the rotation, the bullpen. I think all of those things are still in play based on what we’ve seen.”
Sasaki faces his next test Friday at Dodger Stadium against the Chicago Cubs, where he’ll look to build on his Philadelphia performance and continue adapting to major league competition.