Roki Sasaki has been more than wild in his first two MLB starts. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
(Harry How via Getty Images)
The early returns on Roki Sasaki are some impressive pitches and a lot of walks.
The Los Angeles Dodgers rookie posted another short start in his Dodger Stadium debut on Saturday, exiting after 1 2/3 innings with three hits and two earned runs allowed plus four walks and two strikeouts. He threw 61 pitches in less than two innings of work, with only 32 of them strikes.
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Sasaki’s lack of command was apparent from the first batter. He missed the strike zone by more than a foot on his first two fastballs to Detroit Tigers leadoff hitter Zach McKinstry before allowing a single, then proceeded to load the bases before allowing runs on a single from Manuel Margot and a walk of Trey Sweeney.
He did get his first Dodger Stadium strikeout in the process, though.
The second inning wasn’t much better. Sasaki walked two more batters and was pulled with two men on and two outs, with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts bringing in another rookie in Jack Dreyer to end the inning.
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Through two career starts, Sasaki has now walked nine batters in 4 2/3 innings of work. He avoided disaster in his first start against the Chicago Cubs in the Japan Series by allowing only one hit, but the Tigers had more success putting bat to ball. With a high-90s fastball and perhaps the best splitter in the world, Sasaki has elite stuff, but so far his execution has been lacking.
Control wasn’t a significant issue for Sasaki in his Japanese career, averaging 2.0 walks per nine innings for the Chiba Lotte Marines. This is a Dodgers problem, and one that manager Dave Roberts speculated could be due to overthrowing before the game Saturday:
“There were times when there was an overthrow in there. That’s when a pitcher loses a ball arm-side. It’s a little bit of coming out of your delivery, a little overthrow, so honestly, for me, I just want the ball commanded. I want the fastball commanded. If it’s 96, 97, 98, whatever it is, if it’s commanded, I just think the split will play up even better. If he can do that, he’s going to be successful.”
So far, Sasaki hasn’t been what you would call successful by Roberts’ standards.
Of course, Sasaki remains only 23 years old and he had plenty of reason to be pushing his pitches in his first two starts, playing in his home country in his MLB debut then taking the mound for his first appearance at Dodger Stadium. Still, for a player who entered the season as the favorite for NL Rookie of the Year, he is showing he already has significant work to do.
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