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Los Angeles Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki has been a true roller coaster when watching him pitch from inning to inning, but on Saturday night, he put together the best start of his young career.
For those watching Roki Sasaki pitch every game, especially over the last handful of games, this was no real surprise.
His splitter has been a real weapon that complements his forkball, while his slider is a true complementary pitch, all with Sasaki’s fastball getting more and more movement.
He finished with three hits allowed over 84 pitches over 5.1 innings, with seven strikeouts. He got 18 whiffs on 51 swings as well, showing how his stuff is clicking.
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May 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA;Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) is greeted in the dugout after leaving the game during the sixth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
His velocity on all four of his pitches was up at least 1.2 mph, along with the spin rate, horizontal break, and induced vertical break.
He only allowed three hard-hit balls, with only one of those turning into an actual hit.
Sasaki’s newly unlocked velocity
Most importantly, Sasaki’s fastball finally hit triple digits, with it topping out at 100.4 mph. His pitch mix was not necessary to fool hitters, as they got quite aggressive, looking at only five strikes and swinging 51 times.
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May 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) looks on during the sixth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
However, they had no success at all against his pitches, aside from his fastball. His only run came on a fastball; otherwise, they could not do anything.
Most importantly, Sasaki only walked one batter, keeping him out of trouble and limiting the amount of traffic on the bases.
It was not necessarily his longest outing of the season, but with the stuff he showed and the caliber of player he faced, Sasaki looked like the pitcher the Dodgers thought they were getting out of Japan.
Sasaki’s next start will come against the Angels at home, where he will be looking to build upon his success and, possibly for the first time all year long, put together a scoreless outing.
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