Dodgers see Roki Sasaki's potential but control issues raise doubts about his long-term success

Roki Sasaki , the Japanese 23-year-old pitching phenomenon, has made a start with his Major League Baseball career using the Los Angeles Dodgers , with a reflection both of his vast potential and also the scope of his improvement. His blazing fastball and nasty splitter saw Roki Sasaki’s early showings being an exhibition of flashes and inconsistency that attracted the center of attention among fans and pundits.

Roki Sasaki flashes superstar potential as Dodgers wait for full breakout

Roki Sasaki made his MLB debut on March 19, 2025, in the Tokyo Series with the Chicago Cubs. His first outing in front of his home crowd in Tokyo Dome found him serving up a spark of electricity for his first inning of work, as his fastballs touched 101 mph and retired the side on a scoreless note topped with a strikeout of fellow Japanese Seiya Suzuki.




But as the game went on, Roki Sasaki had trouble with control, giving five walks in three innings and one run on one hit. Along the way, though, he managed to wriggle out of a bases-loaded situation in the third inning with back-to-back strikeouts, showing his toughness and natural ability.

Rookie adjusting to Majors and early season performance
Roki Sasaki is one of the newer Dodgers' pitchers. He doesn't yet know how to pitch in Major League Baseball. For his first 30 innings, he struck out 24 and walked 20. This is a commentary that describes how sometimes he throws tremendous pitches but other times misses entirely.


Roki Sasaki won his first game on May 3, 2025. He played against the Atlanta Braves. He pitched five innings, allowed three runs, and struck out four hitters. He has a very unique pitch named a splitter, it’s extremely difficult to hit. If Roki Sasaki can master his pitches, he can be one of the greatest baseball pitchers.


Roki Sasaki is only 23. They feel like he can have a huge contract in 2030, potentially over $200 million. He is still being taught, but one day, he might be a Dodgers star.


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