ANAHEIM, Calif. — Roki Sasaki’s challenging major league journey appears to be heading in the direction most anticipated when he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers before last season began.
The young pitcher delivered seven innings of outstanding baseball, allowing just four hits during Los Angeles’ commanding 10-1 win against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. This performance marked the most impressive and extended outing of his unpredictable time wearing Dodgers blue.
The 24-year-old pitcher from Japan achieved personal milestones with eight strikeouts and zero walks, displaying newfound self-assurance that was absent throughout much of his previous campaign. Sasaki (2-3) consistently puzzled Angels hitters while aggressively targeting the strike zone using a 98 mph fastball complemented by an expanding array of off-speed offerings.
“I think he has confidence in who he is as a big league pitcher, and we’re seeing some of the fruits right now,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
Despite facing the club with baseball’s poorest record, Sasaki’s arsenal is clearly functioning at an elite level he has seldom achieved as a major league starter.
He arrived as a highly-touted prospect in January 2025 when he selected the Dodgers for what could be a six-year commitment. However, following a debut season where virtually everything went wrong, Sasaki is just now demonstrating why every major league organization coveted his services for their starting rotation.
“I actually felt better in my last outing, but today I felt able to throw strikes a little bit more,” Sasaki said through his interpreter. “Also the offense did a great job of scoring a lot of runs.”
While Sasaki hasn’t commanded most of his previous starts, Roberts noted he’s clearly moving in the right direction. The pitcher is also developing good chemistry with catcher Dalton Rushing, who earned praise from Roberts for his exceptional game-calling at Angel Stadium.
“He looked really good today,” Rushing said. “Obviously it’s really good momentum for him to carry forward, but at the same time, there’s opportunities for him to be even better. We know that’s not his ceiling. What he just did is obviously the best we’ve seen him to this point, but I trust that guy has got a lot more in the tank, and we’re going to continue to push. But it was fun to watch.”
Sasaki is once more attempting to secure a regular position in the Dodgers’ starting lineup this year after notably struggling to establish himself during his first season. He later sat out four and a half months due to shoulder issues, but remarkably returned as Los Angeles’ relief pitcher during their championship pursuit, helping secure a consecutive World Series victory.
Sasaki’s relief work proved crucial for the depleted Dodgers roster, though it didn’t alter their future vision for his role. He entered spring preparation as a rotation candidate once more — but then consistently performed poorly in Arizona, undermining his self-belief.
Precisely fifty percent of the hitters he encountered during exhibition games managed to reach base safely, as Sasaki battled command issues.
Roberts explained the Dodgers’ guidance to Sasaki has remained unchanged: cease focusing on minor mechanical adjustments or perfecting new offerings, and instead challenge hitters in the strike zone using his already impressive abilities.
While it required time for Sasaki to embrace this approach, the message is now resonating clearly — and his aggressive mindset is simultaneously enhancing his pitching mechanics. Sasaki induced 18 swings and misses from Angels batters, contributing significantly to his personal-best strikeout performance.
“I think one of the reasons is mechanical,” Sasaki said of his recent success. “Things are kind of clicking, and I was able to execute really well throughout the game today.”
The Dodgers require Sasaki’s excellence as they navigate another season plagued by significant pitching injuries. Expensive acquisitions Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are sidelined once more, while closer Edwin Diaz remains unavailable alongside Jack Dreyer, their most frequently utilized reliever.
Los Angeles continues pitching exceptionally well, entering the weekend ranked third in major league ERA. Both Rushing and Roberts anticipate Sasaki playing a significant role in maintaining that standard.
“Pretty much it’s a confidence thing,” Rushing said. “He needs to trust his stuff, understand how good his stuff is, and execute. … With the stuff he has, it’s easy to miss barrels, and we hadn’t quite got to see that just yet. Today was obviously a big step forward.”
