In a league that worships velocity and chews up rookies for breakfast, someone just served notice with a 98-pitch appetizer. The Los Angeles Dodgers, no strangers to turning hype into hardware, watched a fresh face carve up a powerhouse lineup like he’s been doing it since the steroid era. Roki Sasaki, meet Major League Baseball. MLB, brace yourself—Japan’s latest export doesn’t need subtitles.
Sasaki got his first W against the Atlanta Braves, and Ohtani wasted no time in congratulating Sasaki. He posted an Instagram story mentioning Sasaki with a clapping emoji. Rojas, adding his own tribute, put out a story with the caption “Sueltale Roki.” It was not only Ohtani and Rojas, but others like Enrique Hernandez also were there to tip their hat.
Sasaki pitched a career-high 98 pitches in the game and earned three runs. After all, it was one of the better performances that Sasaki has given the Dodgers fans till now.
But his teammates weren’t the only ones to show support. While talking to the media post-game, manager Dave Roberts said, “I thought early on, the first three innings, he was really good. I thought in the fourth inning he started to waver a little bit with his command, but it was really important for him to get through that fifth inning.”
If Roberts wanted grit, Sasaki delivered it up with a side of gas and gumption. Sure, the fourth inning got wobbly, but legends aren’t built on clean scorecards—they’re built on surviving chaos with a 100 mph fastball. With his first MLB win in the books and the clubhouse buzzing, Sasaki isn’t just fitting in—he’s forcing the league to rewrite its scouting reports. Welcome to the Sasaki Era.
High hopes, higher stakes: Roki Sasaki’s MLB chapter one
Not every headline-grabbing import turns into a headline-making ace—but try telling that to the Dodgers’ front office. With the fanfare of a blockbuster debut and the scrutiny of a franchise forever chasing October glory, Los Angeles placed its bet. Now, all eyes are on Roki Sasaki, whose early outings promise both brilliance and the kind of chaos only raw talent—and MLB pitchers—can deliver.
Sasaki has been turning heads ever since he set foot in the MLB, but now the stakes are getting bigger. The Dodgers’ investment in Sasaki is for the long term, and they look at him as someone who can lead the Dodgers’ rotation in the future. One Dodgers executive said, “We’re looking forward to him continuing to grow. What’s impressive about him is, as good as he’s been, there’s so much room to even get better, which is scary.”
Sasaki is still very raw and will need to be molded into the pitcher the Dodgers are looking for. Despite some struggles, there has been a silver lining in his journey so far. His pitching has been improving game by game. His breaking ball, once overlooked, is now emerging as the key to mastering major league batters’ rhythm. Polishing this off-speed weapon could transform Sasaki into one of the best pitchers in baseball.
If the breaking ball is the brush, then Sasaki is still sketching his masterpiece in real time. But make no mistake—this is no doodle in the margins. With patience, polish, and perhaps fewer walks, Sasaki could graduate from prospect to problem… for every opposing lineup. The hype is real—now he just has to earn the headlines.
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