NEW YORK — Dave Roberts wasn’t too keen on storytelling.
Nevertheless, time was clearly running out for Aki Sasaki.
Blake Snell is set to start his rehab assignment with the Dodgers this weekend, which means a decision about the rotation has to be made soon. With Snell’s return on the horizon, it seemed likely that Sasaki, who finished the first half with the team’s highest ERA at 5.33, would be sidelined.
Roberts was asked on Friday how crucial the next few weeks are for Sasaki as Snell comes back.
“Well, Snell has begun his rehab assignment, but I wouldn’t say he’s right around the corner,” Roberts replied with a sly smile.
It turns out, public pressure wasn’t necessary for the 24-year-old talent to finally show some progress. In a tight 2-1 victory against the Yankees, Sasaki delivered his best outing yet. He reached a career-high average of 160.1 mph with his fastball, and his splitter was so effective that catcher Dalton Rushing joked about its success. Sasaki threw for 5 2/3 innings, allowing just one earned run.
“It was quite impressive,” Roberts commented. “Oh, I mean, he really stepped up the speed.”
“That,” added Rushing, “was the best we’ve seen him this year.”
Clearly, Sasaki needed a night like this.
Throwing 21 pitches over 100 mph in one game was unprecedented for him as an MLB starter, surpassing his previous total of 14 pitches.
On this night, he faced a strong lineup, mixing incredible speed with a variety of pitches that resulted in swings and misses. It was refreshing to see him perform against a serious opponent, even without Aaron Judge playing due to injury.
In his own words, Sasaki said in Japanese, “It’s just one game, so I can’t draw any conclusions.” He reflected on how he utilized his lower body, suggesting that it made a difference.
This was the type of performance the Dodgers hoped for when they signed Sasaki from Japan. They had been waiting a long time for this, especially considering the ups and downs of his transition to the majors.
Of course, Sasaki acknowledged that this was merely one game. He had shown glimmers of promise before, but they often faded, leading to inconsistent outings.
Roberts made a point to compare Sasaki’s performance to that of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, recalling his impressive outings here a few years ago. He emphasized that it’s vital for Sasaki to build on this and boost his confidence.
From the start, Sasaki’s dominance was evident, highlighted by a memorable first inning against MVP Paul Goldschmidt. He unleashed a stunning 161.8 mph fastball for strike one—his hardest pitch in the majors. Later, he followed up with a 101.7 mph fastball and a sharp slider to end the inning.
“It put a big smile on my face when I saw 102,” noted Roberts, recognizing the effort Sasaki put in during the break despite a rocky start to the season.
Sasaki joked about wishing he had gotten an All-Star break himself, as he continued to impress throughout the night.
He maintained an impressive speed, allowing five hits, one walk, and striking out five. In a critical moment during the third inning, he skillfully worked his way out of trouble by inducing a double play.
Sasaki quickly rebounded from a run allowed in the fourth, which involved a few fielding errors. His performance remained strong, even as he squared off with former Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole before exiting in the sixth inning.
While this outing lowered his season ERA to 4.98, it demonstrated much of the potential that has been building.
“After the first inning, it was really exciting,” Roberts said. “With Sasaki, he sometimes struggles but then finds his rhythm. Tonight was a good example of that.”
The challenge for Sasaki will be maintaining this momentum, as he’ll need to show more reliability to secure his spot in the long-term rotation.
Whether he can achieve that remains uncertain, even to Roberts.
“I think time will tell,” Roberts stated. “It’s in that bucket.”
But at least Sasaki has now set a solid example to follow.
“I just go back to his beliefs,” Rushing added. “Watching him compete tonight, he was definitely a different animal.”
