Roki Sasaki was considered one of the prizes of the MLB offseason less than a year ago, but he was viewed as a luxury addition by the loaded Los Angeles Dodgers.
The reigning champions had already added Blake Snell to their rotation and were expecting Shohei Ohtani to return to the mound this season. Sasaki, still only 23, chose a team that wouldn't place ace-like expectations on him, even if the Dodgers are perennially saddled with high expectations as a World Series-or-bust team.
While his career is still in its infancy, Sasaki's rookie season didn't go the way he expected. The postseason gives him a chance to rewrite the script ahead of 2026.
Here's what you need to know about Sasaki's rookie season and why he's pitching out of the bullpen in October.
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Why did Roki Sasaki get moved to the bullpen?
Sasaki opened the season in the Dodgers' rotation despite being only 23, but he struggled in eight starts, posting a 5.09 ERA and dealing with serious control issues.
It was an injury, however, that knocked Sasaki out of the rotation. Sasaki went on the injured list with a shoulder impingement in early May, and there was uncertainty over the summer regarding whether he would even be able to pitch this season. Dave Roberts started to relay better news as August approached, and Sasaki started a rehab assignment in August with an aim toward a September return.
While Sasaki began his rehab stint as a starter, the Dodgers started to pitch him in relief for a number of reasons. On one hand, L.A. went into September with a fully healthy rotation. Ohtani was getting stretched into someone who could give the team five or six innings, while Snell, Clayton Kershaw and Tyler Glasnow were all back on the hill.
Sasaki also didn't seem fully settled in when he was in the rotation in the spring. Was it worth the risk of not only putting an inexperienced Sasaki back in the rotation for a postseason race, but putting him in with the knowledge he wouldn't be able to provide as much length as other starters?
The Dodgers' bullpen struggled mightily down the stretch, and Sasaki arrived in the majors with ridiculous raw stuff. Roberts found it more valuable to put Sasaki into a one-inning role, where he could empty the tank, than to try to experiment with him as a starter at a critical point in the year.
Sasaki made two relief appearances for the Dodgers in the final week of the regular season, allowing no runs on one hit in two innings of work.
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Roki Sasaki season stats
| IP | W-L | ERA | WHIP | K | BB | FIP |
| 36.1 | 1-1 | 4.46 | 1.43 | 28 | 22 | 5.81 |
Including two relief appearances in September, Sasaki posted a 4.46 ERA over 36.1 innings as a rookie. He walked 5.9 batters per nine innings, struggling with his command during his time in the Dodgers' rotation.
Where is Roki Sasaki from?
Sasaki was born in Rikuzentakata, Japan, and pitched for the Chiba Lotte Marines before coming over to the major leagues after the 2024 season.
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Roki Sasaki contract details
Because Sasaki was under 25 when he came over to the majors, he was considered an amateur international free agent and wasn't able to sign a mega deal like the one Dodgers teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto received a year earlier. Sasaki landed a $6.5 million signing bonus from the Dodgers, but like all other rookies, he otherwise is set to make near-minimum money until he becomes arbitration-eligible.
Sasaki's rookie deal will run through the 2030 season, so the Dodgers won't be on the hook for any kind of hefty salary for Sasaki until his arbitration-eligible years at the earliest. Sasaki will first be eligible for arbitration in 2028.