Dodgers' Roki Sasaki Named One of Biggest Disappointments of 2025 Season Thus Far

Mar 19, 2025; Bunkyo, Tokyo, JPN; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) during the first inning against the Chicago Cubs during the Tokyo Series at Tokyo Dome. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Roki Sasaki was the talk of the offseason as he made the jump from Nippon Professional Baseball to the stateside baseball. The 23-year-old was pegged as one of the best young pitchers in the world and was highly sought after prior to even throwing one pitch in Major League Baseball.

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Joel Wolfe of Wasserman, Sasaki's agent, made it clear that the right-hander had much room for improvement as he hoped to reach new heights under a team with strong pitching development.

“Roki is by no means a finished product. He knows it and the teams know it. He is incredibly talented. We all know that,” Wolfe said this offseason. “But he is a guy that wants to be great. He’s not coming here to be rich or to get a huge contract. He wants to be great. He wants to be one of the greatest ever. I see that now and he has articulated it."

The Dodgers convinced Sasaki to sign with L.A. after acing a homework assignment regarding why the right-hander velocity dipped during the 2024 season. Additionally, while there would always be high expectations for Sasaki, joining the Dodgers rotation meant there was no added pressure to be an instant star.

Nearly two months into the season, there are some who are not impressed by Sasaki's performance thus far.

"The favorites to win National League Rookie of the Year were Roki Sasaki of the Dodgers, Dylan Crews of the Nationals and Matt Shaw of the Cubs," The Athletic's Jim Bowden wrote in his article naming the biggest disappointments of the 2025 sason. "Now, six weeks into the season, none of them are playing up to expectations."

The Dodgers rookie struggled in his first two starts, but Sasaki has taken steps in the right direction since. The right-hander has a 3.86 ERA and 1.451 WHIP over seven starts.

While Sasaki is by no means an ace, he's slowly coming into his own.

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