Roki Sasaki’s accomplishments this year extend beyond just statistics; they reflect a significant shift in his self-perception.
He’s moved away from viewing himself simply as a project in need of revival.
After the Dodgers faced a sweep by the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series, the 24-year-old expressed ambitions that sound more like those of a future Cy Young Award contender.
“My goal is to put up good numbers as a starter in the regular season and win individual titles,” he mentioned in Japanese.
While he didn’t specify the titles he was aiming for, two years ago, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman made it clear that Sasaki hoped to be the first Japanese pitcher to ever win a Cy Young Award.
That’s quite the ambition, isn’t it?
The fact that he’s now bold enough to voice such lofty goals indicates how far he has come this year.
This is the same pitcher who, during his injury-plagued rookie season with the Dodgers in 2025, recorded a 4.72 ERA in eight starts.
Initially, he entered this year’s spring training with modest aspirations—mainly to secure a spot in the Dodgers’ starting rotation.
His early performances this season didn’t exactly scream big-league talent. Actually, they were a bit underwhelming.
Yet, by the start of the Dodgers’ offseason, Sasaki was already discussing his desire to secure a role in the playoff rotation for next year.
“To start in the regular season and continue being a starter in the postseason, I think I have to give a performance worthy of that,” he stated. “I know what I did this year wasn’t enough. There are a lot of good pitchers on the team.”
This situation will likely remain unchanged next season, no matter if the Dodgers choose to retain Tarik Skubal.
If Skubal departs, that could be balanced by the return of Shohei Ohtani as a two-way player. Other postseason starters like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, and Tyler Glasnow will also be back.
Sasaki believes if he can vie for individual league honors, he should also stand a chance to be part of the team’s rotation in October. Last two postseasons, he spent his time in the bullpen.
“In the playoffs, I think the team winning is prioritized more than anything,” he explained. “I think that if I pitch well in the regular season, I should be able to throw (in the postseason). If I can’t do that, I think it would just mean I’m not good enough.”
He finished the regular season with a record of 5-5 and an ERA of 4.49.
Despite that, he found encouragement in having made 23 starts, marking the most he has ever pitched in a season—whether in MLB or the Japanese league.
“The physical part,” he noted, “has become better.”
Along with pitching more frequently, he also saw improvements in his performance.
In his first six starts after the All-Star break, Sasaki had an impressive 2.31 ERA, averaging nearly six innings per start.
This promising stretch was cut short due to a blister that formed on his pitching hand’s middle finger in late August. Still, he felt like he had made some important breakthroughs.
The Dodgers recognized that progress as well.
“I think Roki’s year, a ton of really positive things to take away from it,” said general manager Brandon Gomes. “I thought his second half was incredible.”
During that time, he began utilizing a harder version of his signature forkball. He also rediscovered his fastball’s velocity, which had dipped during his final season in Japan.
His average four-seamer reached 97.9 mph, an increase from 96.1 mph the previous year.
This enhanced fastball-forkball combo made his slider much more effective.
“My (fastball) velocity came back at the end,” Sasaki remarked. “Regarding that, I have to continue doing what I’ve done up to this point. I still don’t think I’m there with my breaking balls. I want to level up their quality.”
He may not have a clear view of where he’s headed, but it’s clear that the journey ahead is becoming more defined.
After nearly two years of wandering without direction, Sasaki feels prepared to take intentional steps forward.
