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As the hugely talented Roki Sasaki made his desire to join the major leagues known this past offseason, it prompted almost every franchise to try their luck at securing his services. After quite a long-drawn saga, however, Sasaki ultimately signed with the LA Dodgers, joining his compatriots Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto at the club.
Despite all the hype surrounding the 23-year-old, Sasaki has struggled to settle into his new home. In the chances that he has had so far, the Japanese ace has looked unconvincing, currently pitching with a 4.72 ERA.
A huge reason why Sasaki caused so much fanfare was his lightning-quick fastball, which many deemed 'unplayable'. Playing for Team Japan in the 2023 WBC Classic, Sasaki's fastball was measured at 102 miles per hour. However, since he has begun pitching for the Dodgers, the young ace has been unable to replicate similar numbers.
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Exploring potential reasons for this, Atlanta Braves legend Chipper Jones tweeted on X to hypothesize the possibility of speed guns at the WBC being 'juiced' to increase viewership. He also questioned potential reasons for Sasaski's struggles so far:
"Maybe the guns in the WBC were juiced to increase viewership. Maybe he’s sacrificing stuff for location. Maybe he’s hurting. Who knows…."
MLB insider says 'sending Roki Sasaki to the minors' may be an option the Dodgers should seriously consider if struggles continue
Appearing on the "Foul Territory" podcast in early April, insider Jim Bowden talked about how sending Roki Sasaki to the minor leagues to work on his craft may be a worthwhile option for the Dodgers' coaching staff to consider, if the 23-year-old continues to struggle as he has so far.
"If you're the Dodgers, you've got a couple of options," Jim Bowden said. "Number one, you've got to hope he (Roki Sasaki) bounces back in his next start. That's going to be important, and you hope he keeps improving and see how he handles adversity like this."
"If he doesn't handle it well, you can't be afraid to do one of two things. One option is to send him out to Triple-A. Let him go to the minors. Not under the big lights, and let him figure out how to control and command, add, subtract, own the strike zone."
As the Dodgers face a starting pitching "crisis" with several players injured, fans hope Roki Sasaki can soon adjust to the responsibility on his shoulders and start showcasing his undeniable talent more consistently.
