Have you heard of a player’s spring training debut turning out to be a historic moment? No, right? Well, Roki Sasaki ensured to do the unthinkable. He made sure that his first taste of MLB action was anything but ordinary.
The 23-year-old Japanese sensation just lived up to all the hype that was created around him and delivered a performance like no other. From his fastball to his splitter, he didn’t just meet the expectations of the Dodgers—he simply destroyed them. He gave everyone a peek into him becoming baseball’s next pitching icon!
Sasaki’s splitter in particular took everyone aback; it was sheer magic. The Cincinnati Reds swung at it eight times and missed seven. The only contact was a flyout, and four of his five strikeouts came on that pitch. His splitter has a 519 rpm spin rate; which, according to Statcast, is the lowest-ever record in the era, beating Emmanuel Ramirez’s, Logan Gilbert’s, and Mike Pelfrey’s records. In MLB, the average splitter last season was 1,302 rpm. So his pitch is essentially disappearing and averaging 43 inches of drop! And GM Brandon Gomes is more than impressed with what they saw.
Gomes couldn’t help but feel sorry for those who were trying to catch Sasaki’s arsenal. “I feel bad for the catchers,” said an elated Gomes to Foul Territory. And well, Roki Sasaki’s splitter rate is more than any thrown in the majors last year—so it’s guaranteed that he is impressive. And really, his pitches move in a way that even defies baseball logic too. It doesn’t have a break; sometimes it fades the arm side like a traditional one, and other times it cuts like a slider. So there is an element of unpredictability, which is why Gomes feels bad for the catchers.
In fact, even Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said something similar, “He throws it hard. It looks like a fastball. Some break straight down, some go to the left. Some go to the right. It’s tough to square it up, because you just don’t know what it’s going to do.” And it’s not just the splitter; Sasaki’s entire pitching mode is designed to dominate. His fastball has many times touched 100 mph in the past, and once he pairs it up with a slider, it gives hitters absolute nightmares. And what’s surprising is that despite his young age, he is looking like a seasoned player.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are more than lucky to have him because while they already have Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto on their roster, and Roki Sasaki… well, he adds another insane degree of dimension to their growing list of splitters.
A bold prediction for the Los Angeles Dodgers
“No Dodgers starting pitcher makes more than 25 trips to the mound or reaches 150 IP.” This is the bold prediction from ESPN’s Eric Karabell. And at first read, it sounds like impossible, because with all that pitching talent in the Los Angeles Dodgers, how can none of those starts hit the marks? But once you dig a little deeper, the idea does make sense.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 08: Manager Dave Roberts #30 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on before a game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on June 08, 2024 in New York City. The Dodgers defeated the Yankees 11-3. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
The Dodgers this offseason added plenty of depth to their starting rotation. And given that injuries had plagued them last season, it’s understandable why they did what they did. But now those injured pitchers are coming back to health. So with them and the newer pitchers, the team has more starters than spots available. That’s not even factoring in Clayton Kershaw and Shohei Ohtani, who are expected to make it to the bullpen soon.
So if everyone stays healthy, LA might not need to push any one pitcher to the 150-inning mark. Last year, no Dodger starter could reach the threshold, and now with a strong bullpen this time too, this might be the picture. Rather than relying on a workhorse, Roberts might spread the innings around, keeping his rotation fresh for the postseason.
This isn’t a bad situation, as everyone saw how derailed their past seasons have been due to injuries. And while Karabell’s take might feel extreme, it is not impossible. What do you think about their bullpen? Let us know!
The post “Feel Bad for Catchers”—Dodgers’ GM Left in Awe as Roki Sasaki’s Insane Talent Poised to Script History appeared first on EssentiallySports.
