Dave Roberts Identifies Biggest Key for Roki Sasaki to Develop With Dodgers

Oct 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) warms up before game five of the 2025 MLB World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Roki Sasaki went into the 2025 season with plenty of fanfare but fell well short of expectations.

Projected to be the next Los Angeles Dodgers' Rookie of the Year winner, Sasaki instead struggled through most of his first eight starts before landing on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder impingement.

The injury at one point appeared to have Sasaki's return last year in doubt. An extended rehab assignment didn't produce overwhelming results but a shift to pitching out of the bullpen proved instrumental.

Sasaki was activated during the last week of the regular season and went on to become a valuable contributor as a relief pitcher. The role change was temporary, however, with Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman confirming this offseason that Sasaki was returning to the rotation in 2026.

With that on the horizon, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told Dylan Hernández of the California Post there's a need for Sasaki to expand his pitch mix in order to be successful.

“For me,” Roberts said, “he needs to develop a third pitch.”

Sasaki primarily relied on a fastball (49.9% usage) and forkball/splitter (33.5%) while incorporating a slider (16.3%).

He only threw the slider a total of 101 times over 14 plate appearances. Sasaki gave up three hits and walked two batters on the pitch, amounting to a .774 on-base plus slugging percentage and 127 wRC+.

Being able to improve the slider, or perhaps shift to incorporating a curveball, will be essential for Sasaki's outlook as a starting pitcher. There also is the reality of his fastball needing to become a more quality pitch as well.

Sasaki's heater only averaged 96.4 mph and he lacked consistent command of it. The Dodgers believed improved mechanics established later in the year was key to an uptick in velocity. That certainly seems plausible, but it's worth noting Sasaki's fastball was a better pitch while he filled a bullpen role.

Roki Sasaki not part of World Baseball Classic

Coming off an injury-plagued year and heading into an important season, Sasaki is not going to be with Team Japan for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, unlike his countrymen Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Sasaki remaining part of Dodgers Spring Training could ultimately prove significant in his quest to be among their starting pitchers this season.

In a social media post on Instagram earlier this month, the 24-year-old thanked fans for their support and wrote he will "work very hard to contribute to the team for the entire season" in 2026.