Dave Roberts Says Rookie 'Earned the Spot' to Start in Japan vs Cubs

It's no secret that the Los Angeles Dodgers have tons of young talent on their team.

A notable rookie that baseball fans couldn't wait to see in a Dodgers uniform has surpassed the heavy expectations set for him this spring.

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Roki Sasaki was a highly sought after international prospect this offseason that got the attention of 20 MLB teams. In an unprecedented race down to the wire, he decided to ink a deal with the Dodgers.

In Cactus League play, the 23-year-old phenom has struck out seven in seven innings with a 0.00 ERA. His nasty splitter has lived up to the hype as it has puzzled MLB-level hitters in his two appearances.

After his first start of Cactus League Wednesday, the right-hander struck out two through four scoreless innings allowing just a single hit. This was all manager Dave Roberts needed to see to confirm that Sasaki would be starting the second game of the Opening Series in Japan.

“He earned the spot,” said Roberts. “I’m very proud of him. For a young player to pitch for the Dodgers, obviously he’s talented and we’re excited to have him. I think it’s going to be great for him. It’s great for us. It gives us a great chance to win and it’s great for baseball.”

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The two Tokyo games to open up the 2025 MLB season against the Chicago Cubs will be great for Sasaki as it will be a new kind of home-field advantage, but it will also be a huge accomplishment for growing the sport of baseball.

Roberts, Sasaki, Dodgers' reigning NL MVP Shohei Ohtani, and L.A.'s Opening Day starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto were all born in Japan.

For the Cubs, their Opening Day starter will be Shota Imanaga on the mound who was not only born in Japan, but played on the Japan National team with Sasaki, Ohtani, and Yamamoto as they won the Gold medal in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Chicago's right fielder Seiya Suzuki also grew up about 15 minutes away from the Tokyo Dome where the two historic games will be played.

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