"He's going to be one of our starters, and I just think that I've been very consistent in the sense that we don't solely evaluate Spring Training as in its entirety along. He's got things to prove, consistency of getting guys out, of strike throwing, but he's going to get that opportunity to start the season and we'll see where we go from there."
"The fastball-splitter combination, when used as the focus of the pitching mix, is deadly for its movement and deception, but the command Sasaki has shown is quite underwhelming, given that he is in his second Spring Training."
"2026 is a massive year for Sasaki to prove that he is a starting-caliber pitcher in the big leagues. He was an elite postseason reliever in 2025, but there hasn't been a start in which he has felt fully put together mentally or mechanically."
Roki Sasaki has experienced a challenging Spring Training in 2026, posting mixed results across three starts with nine walks, ten strikeouts, nine hits allowed, and ten runs charged over 6.2 innings. His fastball velocity remains consistent and improving, and his new cutter shows promise with strikeout potential. However, his command has been problematic, forcing manager Dave Roberts to remove him from two games. Despite these struggles, Roberts continues supporting Sasaki as a starter, emphasizing that Spring Training performance alone does not determine roster decisions. Sasaki will begin the 2026 season in the rotation, with the opportunity to prove his consistency and ability to execute pitches at the major league level.
Read at Dodgers Nation
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