Roki Sasaki struggles mark him as biggest disappointment in Dodgers debut

Roki Sasaki , Japan's most heralded pitching prospect , arrived at the Los Angeles Dodgers with huge expectations. Famous for his scorching fastball and devastating splitter, Roki Sasaki’s introduction to Major League Baseball has come with excitement as well as tests. Though raw talent cannot be denied, early outings have also identified areas of need for tweaking, prompting some analysts to designate him as one of the early disappointments of the season.

Roki Sasaki struggles to meet expectations in first season with Dodgers
Roki Sasaki made his MLB debut in the Tokyo Series against the Chicago Cubs. Before a hometown crowd, he showed off his dynamite arm, throwing 100-plus mph fastballs. Control problems were also apparent. Roki Sasaki yielded one run on one hit over three innings but walked five, including a bases-loaded walk that scored a run. Of 56 pitches, there were just 25 strikes, a strike rate well under the MLB average of 64%.

One MLB analyst called Dodgers rookie pitcher Roki Sasaki one of the biggest disappointments of the 2025 season...

I'd definitely disagree...https://t.co/zJwEwiIZIv

— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) May 9, 2025

Follow-up outings reflected such difficulties. In a game against the Detroit Tigers, Roki Sasaki was taken out after 1.2 innings, having conceded two runs on three hits and four walks. The psychological strain was apparent as he was spotted crying in the dugout, an incident that moved fans and pointed to the pressure international rookies have to endure.

Dodgers still believe Roki Sasaki can turn season around
Baseball pundits have observed that although Roki Sasaki’s splitter and fastball are big league-caliber, his command and consistency overall need work. Statistics like xFIP and xERA have been above wanted levels, showing underlying issues in performance rather than surface stats.


The coaching staff of the Dodgers remains hopeful, pointing to Roki Sasaki’s ability and the normal adjustment time for players coming from Japan's NPB to MLB.


Manager Dave Roberts accepted the variation in performance, saying, "When you get youth and talent, which is Roki, what that brings in is variance. So there's going to be some really high highs, and then some things that you just don't know that are gonna happen, because of his inexperience".


Also Read: Dodgers See Roki Sasaki’s Potential But Control Issues Raise Doubts About His Long-Term Success