LOS ANGELES — Thirty-one days ago, Rōki Sasaki sat in a Dodger Stadium conference room facing Andrew Friedman and Brandon Gomes. The 23-year-old Japanese phenom, signed amid sky-high expectations, had spent most of his first MLB season sidelined by shoulder pain and frustration. Now the Dodgers were asking him to try something entirely new: move to the bullpen for October.
“We wanted his full buy-in,” Friedman recalled. “Short of multiple injuries, that was the only real path.”
For a pitcher who had started every game of his career, the idea was radical. But after months of rehab and mechanical tinkering — and a Triple-A start where his fastball again touched 100 mph — Sasaki agreed. “Because they will let me try to start again next season,” he said, “it was an easy decision.”
Finding Himself Again
Sasaki’s rookie year had spiraled early. His velocity dropped from triple digits to the mid-90s, his command vanished, and a shoulder impingement sent him to the injured list in May with a 4.72 ERA. Coaches Mark Prior and Rob Hill spent months rebuilding his delivery and trust. A late-summer breakthrough came when Sasaki studied old video of his high-school motion and rediscovered the timing of his lower body.
“I noticed something about the use of my legs,” he told Shukan Bunshun. “For the first time all year, I felt like my old self.”
Soon after, his fastball exploded again, and the Dodgers offered the bullpen experiment.
A Postseason Revelation
Since returning, Sasaki has delivered 5 ⅓ scoreless innings across multiple playoff rounds, becoming the first pitcher in MLB history whose first two career saves came in the postseason. His fastball once more sits near 100 mph; his splitter dives like a trapdoor. He closed out the Wild Card sweep of Cincinnati, notched back-to-back saves in the NLDS against Philadelphia, then fired three perfect innings in the Game 4 clincher.
“One of the great all-time appearances out of the pen that I can remember,” manager Dave Roberts said.
“He’s honestly one of the best pitchers I’ve ever seen,” added Tyler Glasnow.
Trust and Transformation
Sasaki’s evolution wasn’t just physical. A once-reserved newcomer who struggled with the language and routine of MLB has become, in Friedman’s words, “a partner.” The Dodgers still see him as a future ace, but this October cameo has shown both sides what’s possible.
“The poise and composure — you don’t know until someone’s out there,” Friedman said. “He’s more than answered the bell.”
