Expectations surrounding Roki Sasaki were enormous from the moment he arrived in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization.
The hard-throwing right-hander quickly built a reputation as one of baseball’s most exciting young pitchers thanks to his blazing fastball and devastating splitter. But as the Dodgers move through spring training, Sasaki‘s early outings have highlighted the adjustment period that can come with elite talent still refining its craft.
During one early spring appearance against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Sasaki struggled to consistently find the strike zone, allowing three runs, three hits, and two walks across just 1 innings.
Even in that short outing, the flashes of ability that made Sasaki such a coveted arm were visible. He struck out three hitters while showing the upper-90s velocity that has become his calling card.
Still, command proved to be the biggest obstacle. Only 17 of his 36 pitches were strikes as the Diamondbacks capitalized early in the inning.
Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts suggested that adrenaline may have played a role in the uneven outing.
“I thought he was overthrowing,” Roberts said. “I haven’t seen that all spring. It’s probably just getting into live competition. I thought he was a little too bullish on the fastball, but he was getting behind in the first inning.”
Roberts added that improving fastball command will be essential for the young pitcher moving forward.
“I think the first thing is he’s got to mix better and command the fastball,” Roberts said. “I just attribute it to first-game adrenaline.”
Despite the rough beginning, Sasaki showed signs of settling down as the outing progressed, striking out the final two hitters he faced in the first inning after a mound visit from pitching coach Mark Prior.
Moments like that illustrate why the Dodgers are maintaining patience. The organization understands that Sasaki‘s development is still ongoing.
Dodgers view Sasaki’s development as a long-term process
Part of Sasaki‘s spring focus has been experimenting with a third pitch to complement his fastball and splitter. The 24-year-old has been working with a cutter-like breaking ball as he expands his arsenal for a potential starting role.
The pitch development is important for a pitcher who has shown elite stuff but occasionally struggles with command and pitch sequencing.
Roberts has also emphasized that Sasaki‘s progress should be viewed as part of a longer developmental arc rather than judged solely on spring results.
“Roki is still developing,” Roberts said. “He’s not going to be fully developed by the season’s start, and that’s to be expected.”
That patience is rooted in Sasaki‘s roller-coaster first season in the majors. Entering 2025 with enormous hype, he appeared in just 10 games and posted a 4.46 ERA while missing more than four months with a shoulder impingement.
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