Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki is finally in the win column.
The 23-year-old made his seventh Major League start on Sunday against the Atlanta Braves, going five innings with three earned runs allowed on six hits, a home run, two walks, and four strikeouts. The Dodgers won 10-3.
Here is what Sasaki’s teammate Mookie Betts had to say on his outing and growth:
“Confidence. A lot of confidence. This game is very humbling. So, for him to start the way he started and now just to see him grow in his confidence, believe in himself, trust us… It’s just really fun to watch,” Betts said.
Sasaki expectedly struggled out of the gates, as is common for Japanese pitchers adjusting to different ball grips and sizes in America. However, even though Sasaki has not yet dominated as anticipated, he is making strides.
Through two starts, he had a 5.79 ERA and a 6.70 FIP, while going just four and 2/3 innings. However, he has been much better over his last five starts, and now has a season ERA of 3.86 and FIP of 5.36.
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Truist Park.
Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
More importantly, as Betts mentioned, Sasaki looks far more comfortable on the mound and is growing into the highly touted pitcher that had every organization foaming at the mouth during the offseason.
Los Angeles needs Sasaki to deliver with its abundance of injuries. Tyler Glasnow is on the 15-day injured list and has been shut down from throwing. Blake Snell is also on the 15-day injured list, and while he is expected to resume playing catch next week, his status is murky.
Plus, Clayton Kershaw and Shohei Ohtani have not yet pitched this season.
This leaves Sasaki, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dustin May, and the recently healthy Tony Gonsolin to carry the load for a rotation suddenly strapped for depth.
Hopefully, Sasaki can stay hot for the Dodgers and establish himself as a legitimate top-of-the-staff pitcher in this league.
