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Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki is heading into his second season with the team. Year 1 in the majors was a rollercoaster season for the Japanese standout, who dealt with a right shoulder impingement.
Sasaki posted a 1-1 record with an ERA of 4.46 and 28 strikeouts in 10 appearances in 2025, per StatMuse. Nonetheless, in the postseason, the pitcher flashed his potential coming out of the bullpen.
The 24-year-old had an ERA of 0.84, six strikeouts, and three saves in nine appearances in the 2025 postseason, helping the Dodgers win the World Series, per StatMuse.
Ahead of Sasaki’s second MLB season, Dodgers catcher Will Smith shared his thoughts on the pitcher looking to solidify himself in the starting rotation.
“[Sasaki] looks good,” Smith told SportsNet LA. “He’s throwing the ball hard. The fastball looks really good. The splitter looks really good. He’s been working on a little cutter/slider‑type thing, just really trying to dial that in. We’re going to see him as well, just something going the other way. Yeah, he looks good.”
Moreover, Smith noted that he’s seeing a different Sasaki this year as the 2026 season approaches.
“He’s more confident,” Smith added. “I feel like he knows, you know, a little bit more of what he needs to do on the mound. He has a little better presence. It just takes a little bit of time to get your feet wet in the big leagues. You’ve got to feel success at some point, and that’s what he felt, you know, in the postseason. I’m expecting him to carry it over to this season.”
Roki Sasaki Gets Backing to Succeed as Starting Pitcher
Despite concerns over his two-pitch arsenal of a fastball and splitter, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations, Andrew Friedman, believes the 24-year-old can find success as a starter.
“I think last year, all in all, was a really good experience for him,” Friedman said during a Jan. 29 appearance on Dodgers Territory. “He was able to dominate in the NPB with those two pitches. Frankly, I think he could here as well with being able to execute his pitches on a higher level.
“Last year, just delivery was out of whack, velocity was down a little bit. Ability to execute was off a little bit. It’s either adding that third pitch or elevating the pitch-making ability, and we’ve seen that from him in the past.”
Dodgers Only See Roki Sasaki as Starting Pitcher
Moreover, Friedman didn’t hesitate to state that he expects Sasaki to have a long career despite the hurdles that he faced in Year 1 as a Dodger.
“We couldn’t be more bullish on what he’s capable of,” Friedman added. “He is an extremely talented pitching prospect and sometimes takes those guys a little bit of time to put things together, but I will bet on him having a really long and really good Major League career.”
Everyone in the Dodgers’ front office believes that Sasaki will be a starting pitcher despite his success coming out of the bullpen in the 2025 postseason. Along with Friedman, Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes echoed those remarks.
“Starter for sure,” Gomes told WEEI’s Rob Bradford in a Jan. 28 video. “He looks great. Velocity is really good in bullpens. He’s feeling awesome physically [and] continuing to work on the cutter and two‑seam. If he just went fastball‑split, and he could dominate. And as he rounds out the arsenal, it’s going to be really challenging for teams as he gets through the third time in the order.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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