Roki Sasaki’s arrival in Major League Baseball was supposed to be electric. After all, he was one of the most hyped international signings in years. The 22-year-old right-hander came to the Los Angeles Dodgers with a triple-digit fastball, a devastating splitter, and sky-high expectations. But just a few starts into his major league baseball career and things seem honestly …kind of off.
Take, for example, Sasaki’s latest game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The first inning was anything but kind. Ketel Marte launched a no-doubter to the right. One out later, Josh Naylor roped a double, followed by a towering home run from Eugenio Suarez. It was not just a rough start; it was a reminder that even elite players can sometimes falter when it comes to playing in the big league.
Hall of Famer Chipper Jones didn’t hold back on his assessment about Sasaki and even threw out a little bit of the theories he has for this slump.
Maybe the guns in the WBC were juiced to increase viewership. Maybe he’s sacrificing stuff for location. Maybe he’s hurting. Who knows…. https://t.co/Y9I0k5X31n
— Chipper Jones (@RealCJ10) May 10, 2025
“Maybe the guns in the WBC were juiced to increase viewership. Maybe he’s sacrificing stuff for location. Maybe he’s hurting. Who knows…” said Clipper. It’s a quote that most fans will agree to since they are wondering the same. Sasaki’s fastball, once a fearsome 100+ mph weapon in Japan, is now just averaging 94.8 mph in the majors and topping at 96.7. That’s a good velocity for sure, but what made him known as the phenomenal pitcher he really is?
Roki Sasaki is still fooling hitters with his elite splitter, but given the velocity has dipped, his fastball has become hittable. This isn’t just an in-season slump, because even during the off-season, Sasaki and his agent were asking teams for feedback on his fastball. MLB analyst Ryan Garcia also talked about Sasaki’s pitch, saying, “Roki Sasaki’s ERA doesn’t do justice to how much he’s struggled. The fastball’s extremely hittable, and he only has his splitter to rely on.”
Sasaki now stands with a 3.86 ERA, 24 strikeouts, and a 1.45 WHIP—it is respectable for a rookie. But this is not what everyone expects—they expect phenomenal. Plus, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Sasaki’s Los Angeles Dodgers teammate, earning the praises of “best pitcher in the world,” it’s making things shaky for Sasaki; he might feel pressured. Fans also didn’t stop but lashed out at Sasaki.
Los Angeles Dodgers superstar’s emotions run high
Shohei Ohtani is known for keeping his cool, no matter how big the moment is. But Friday night—that was different. In the ninth inning of a wild back-and-forth game against the Diamondbacks. Ohtani came up with two on, two out, and the score tied at 11-11. Arizona could have walked him, but instead, Ryan Thompson threw him a splitter. Quite risky, and of course, Ohtani made the best of it.
Ohtani crushed it into the right field seats, flipped his bat, and threw his arms in the air. It was a rare reaction for someone as quiet as him. However, the game itself was chaos; Arizona jumped out to a 3-1 lead, and the Dodgers answered with five in the third. The D-Backs tied it and then took their lead, then lost it. In the ninth, the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied back, and then four straight hits, including RBI knocks from Andy Pages, Enrique Hernández, and Muncy, set the stage for Shohei Ohtani.
After the game, even the D-backs manager, Torey Lovullo, admitted their mistake, saying, “We shouldn’t have thrown a splitter to Ohtani. That’s a third-best pitch.” Even Dodger manager Roberts raved about Ohtani and compared him to a legend. “Between him and Barry Bonds, they’re the two best players I’ve ever seen,” said Roberts. Well, everyone was waiting for a huge comeback; this seems to be it.
Did you enjoy the thrilling game the Los Angeles Dodgers had against the D-Backs? Let us know!
The post MLB Legend Suspects WBC ‘Juiced’ Up Speed Guns on Purpose Amid Roki Sasaki’s Decline- “Maybe He’s Hurting” appeared first on EssentiallySports.
