The Los Angeles Dodgers have big plans for Roki Sasaki, but none bigger than the goals he set for himself when choosing which MLB team to call home this past offseason.
The 23-year-old phenom was confusing batters in Nippon Professional Baseball for four seasons before choosing to come to MLB. His arrival has had a bit of a transition period, but there is still promise in his otherworldly splitter and potential to grow into one of the game’s best.
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His most recent outing on Friday didn’t generate a strikeout over four innings, as Sasaki allowed five runs, five hits and two walks.
Manager Dave Roberts spoke confidently that Sasaki is here to stay in the majors and that a trip to Triple-A isn’t in the cards for the phenom.
“I don’t think that a minor-league stint is in any of our minds right now,” Roberts said. “But I do think that this learning up here is very, very valuable.”
Sasaki has been learning a lot on the fly, and the differences between MLB and NPB are showing their evident differences through the right-hander’s 4.72 ERA this season, compared to a career 2.10 mark in Japan.
“There’s nothing more impactful than going through a particular experience. He’s going through some struggles right now,” Roberts said. “Major-league hitters tell you what adjustments you need to make. Coaches can tell you things. He can think some things. But ultimately … you can make adjustments and he will make adjustments given how the hitters respond. I think you learn that by doing that here.”
Another major issue has been the drop in velocity in Sasaki’s usual triple-digit fastball. His last two starts have only elicited a 94.8 mph average on his heater.
Perhaps these are the growing pains that the young pitcher will have to work through in The Show, but the confidence of his manager planning to keep him in the dugout will hopefully start to pay off in the form of increased command during his next start.
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Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
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