Tokyo, Japan – On March 19, 2025, baseball’s most heralded prospect, Roki Sasaki, took the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers in his highly anticipated MLB debut during the Tokyo Series against the Chicago Cubs, delivering a performance that was equal parts electrifying and erratic. The 23-year-old Japanese phenom, ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 prospect entering the 2025 season, showcased his immense potential but also his inexperience, leaving fans and analysts with plenty to unpack as the Dodgers secured a 6-3 victory to sweep the two-game set at the Tokyo Dome.
Sasaki, who signed with Los Angeles this offseason for a modest $6.5 million bonus plus the league-minimum salary of $760,000, entered the game with sky-high expectations. Known for his triple-digit fastball, wipeout splitter, and devastating slider, he’d been dubbed a potential ace before throwing a single pitch in the majors. In his debut, however, the right-hander’s outing was a rollercoaster: three innings, one run allowed on one hit, three strikeouts, and five walks, with a noticeable struggle to command his arsenal against a patient Cubs lineup.
The game began with a flash of brilliance. Sasaki struck out the first two batters he faced—Nico Hoerner and Michael Busch—mixing a 100-mph fastball with a sharp slider that had the Tokyo crowd buzzing. But the third batter, Cody Bellinger, worked a walk after a seven-pitch battle, exposing early cracks in Sasaki’s control. The first inning ended without damage, but the second brought more turbulence: two more walks and a single loaded the bases with two outs before Sasaki escaped by inducing a weak groundout from Pete Crow-Armstrong.
The third inning encapsulated Sasaki’s debut perfectly. He walked Ian Happ to start, then surrendered a double to Hoerner that plated the Cubs’ only run off him. Yet, he bounced back, striking out Busch with a filthy splitter and retiring Bellinger on a pop-up, showing the resilience that’s made him a global sensation. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts pulled him after 65 pitches, opting for caution with his prized prospect. “Roki’s got electric stuff—you saw the highs,” Roberts said post-game. “But youth and talent bring variance. We’re learning him as he learns the big leagues.”
Offensively, the Dodgers flexed their muscle to back Sasaki. Tommy Edman and Shohei Ohtani launched home runs—Ohtani’s confirmed by replay, sending Japanese fans into a frenzy—while Kiké Hernández added a long fly. Reliever Landon Knack earned the win, and Alex Vesia closed it out with a save, ensuring Sasaki’s uneven debut didn’t cost the team.
Social media erupted with reactions. Posts on X hailed Sasaki’s potential—“That fastball-slider combo is unhittable when he’s on,” one fan wrote—while others noted his struggles: “Five walks in three innings? He’s got work to do.” Analysts see it as a microcosm of his transition from Japan’s NPB, where he dominated for the Chiba Lotte Marines, to the MLB’s steeper competition. His 1.33 ERA over 20.1 innings in last year’s brief MLB cameo with the Dodgers offered a tantalizing preview, but this debut underscored the adjustment ahead.
For the Dodgers, already a juggernaut after their 2024 World Series title, Sasaki’s arrival adds another layer of intrigue. With a rotation featuring Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and a recovering Clayton Kershaw, patience will be key as Sasaki refines his command. “He’s not here to be perfect day one,” Roberts added. “The upside’s enormous—we’ll get him there.”
As the MLB season officially kicks off, Sasaki’s debut—flawed yet promising—sets the stage for a fascinating journey. The Dodgers return to the U.S. with a 2-0 record, but all eyes remain on their young ace-in-the-making, whose next start could define just how quickly he adapts to baseball’s biggest stage.
