The Los Angeles Dodgers have one of the deepest starting rotations in baseball. Everyone who takes the mound for them this season has pitched like an ace with the ability to dominate, with one exception–Roki Sasaki. The 24-year-old has shown flashes of brilliance with a repertoire that makes batters look silly. Then there are times in which the command and control go away. However, Sasaki has demonstrated a longer stretch of effectiveness of late. Is this something that bodes well for the future? Or will the young right-hander revert to his old ways?
Roki Sasaki Turning a Corner in Last Four Starts
Evolution of a Starter
Roki Sasaki’s transition to the majors has been far from a smooth one. He was courted by a handful of teams and signed with the Dodgers to much fanfare. He was inserted into the rotation right away. After all, Los Angeles was short of arms. Many expected success overnight. It wasn’t to be. The rookie struggled for most of 2025 with his control. He would get behind in the count and be forced to throw the fastball over the plate. The result was predictable, and Sasaki had “the deer in the headlights” look.
Fast forward to June, and he went down with shoulder inflammation and no timetable for return. In fact, manager Dave Roberts wasn’t sure he would return at all last year.
Necessity is the Mother of Invention
In the second half of 2025, the Dodgers’ bullpen needed relief desperately, so they turned to the rookie. Sasaki responded by getting critical outs as a closer. His two-pitch repertoire seemed perfect for the role, and the Dodgers won another World Series in the process. However, the move to the bullpen was temporary. The offseason chatter only reconfirmed the vision of a starter. Los Angeles was excited to see their young pitcher turn his potential into progress by reaffirming his spot in the rotation.
A Work in Progress
Spring training arrived with the announcement that Sasaki must add another pitch to his arsenal. The Dodgers knew that the youngster would increase his chance of success as a starter if he could implement this change. The process was messy, and the outcome was in doubt. The right-hander was hit hard. An ERA over 7.00 didn’t instill confidence in anybody.
When the season started, the calls for Sasaki’s demotion increased. Los Angeles insisted that he remain in the majors. However, his “spray pattern” remained frustrating and unpredictable. His walk rate was high, as was his pitch count. Not surprisingly, Roki gave up the “big inning” a lot earlier this year, and he struggled the second time through the order.
Young Starter Turning into a Star?
However, the last four starts for Sasaki have rendered noticeable improvement. Thanks to improved mechanics, the right-hander has discovered increased velocity on his pitches, including his new third pitch, a splitter. He hit 100 mph on the radar gun, raising eyebrows. He is getting outs the second time through the opponent’s batting order, which has increased the length of his outings in the last month. One of the key indicators of success is the ability to throw strikes. Sasaki has scattered a total of five walks over his last four starts.
A night to remember for Roki Sasaki 👏
All 10 of his strikeouts from tonight ⬇️ https://t.co/FPwmCyYGzI pic.twitter.com/p1d4V9bq1R
— MLB (@MLB) June 6, 2026
In addition, he has limited his opponents to a maximum of three runs. This has given the Dodgers the opportunity to win in each of his starts. Sasaki’s ERA is still a work in progress, but he has shaved more than a full run off of it in the last month. Manager Dave Roberts has remained optimistic, saying, “What he’s doing now, I think is sustainable.”
Roki Sasaki’s last 4 starts:
7.0 IP | 4 H | 1 ER | 0 BB | 8 K’s
5.0 IP | 4 H | 2 ER | 2 BB | 4 K’s
5.1 IP | 3 H | 1 ER | 1 BB | 7 K’s
7.0 IP | 2 H | 0 ER | 2 BB | 10 K’sHe might be arriving pic.twitter.com/1Xy7mIO6OS
— AT (@BaseballWRLD_) June 6, 2026
It’s a long season, with a lot of growth to be had. However, it looks like the Dodgers’ patience with their young hurler is about to pay off.
Main Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
