Roki Sasaki was the prized signing of the offseason, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are now able to enjoy the spoils. His debut for the Boys in Blue has been highly anticipated, and it did not disappoint.
Sasaki threw three scoreless innings against the Cincinnati Reds in which he struck out five while allowing one walk and a pair of hits. A fine stat line for a debut, but it was more about how he did it. The Dodgers won the game 4-2.
His fastball nearly reached 100mph, sitting at a scorching 99.3mph. He put on display his split-seamed fastball, which has the potential to be one of the best in the world and an unhittable pitch. This very pitch garnered seven misses on eight swings.
Some break straight down, some go to the left, some go to the right. So it is tough to square it up. You just don’t know what it’s going to do.
Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts
Roki Sasaki Destined For Greatness With Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers signed Sasaki on an absolute bargain of a deal back in January, a $6.5 million bonus. He headlined a free-agent class that also included Blake Snell, Hyeseong Kim, Michael Conforto, and others.
Roki Sasaki will get the start on the mound in his final spring outing on March 11th.
The Dodgers will head to Tokyo shortly, where they will face the Chicago Cubs in an international series on March 18th and 19th. Roki Sasaki will have the opportunity to show his home country, and the entire world, that he has the potential to be the best pitcher in the Majors.
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