The Dodgers rolled Wednesday’s starting pitcher Roki Sasaki into their postgame interview after Los Angeles lost 3-0 to the Hanshin Tigers 3-0 on Saturday in a game Sasaki didn’t take
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Roki Sasaki sounded Sunday as if he intends to keep his MLB debut as simple as possible.
After two preseason games in which he observed how MLB hitters reacted to his fastball and splitter, Sasaki said Wednesday’s start against the Chicago Cubs will be about executing the two pitches that earned him his high rating with MLB scouts during his time with the Pacific League’s Lotte Marines.
“There are a few things I’m looking to solidify in my delivery and I just want to make sure I have it in place so I can focus on attacking hitters without worrying about my mechanics. I’ve watched how different MLB hitters reacted to my fastball and the forkball,” he said of his preseason action.
“Going forward I will probably adapt my pitching approach as they see me more and more and adjust but for the Cubs game I am just focused on executing the way I’m capable of doing.”
“For now, I’m not focused on results but on my process.”
Neither of those pitches were all that great last year with the Marines in a season when he dialed down the velocity and got better results throwing the sweeper he picked up during the 2023 World Baseball Classic, but said his focus was on his one-two punch.
“I will need another secondary pitch, whether it’s my slider or not, but for now I’m concentrating on the fastball and forkball,” Sasaki said.
The 23-old, who spent the first year of his pro career in a slow buildup, not pitching in an official game at any level in 2020, and making his major league debut in 2021 before bursting into the record books on April 10, 2022 with a 19-strikeout perfect game, appears to be on a faster track with the Dodgers than he was with Lotte.
“I really haven’t changed my routine from previous years other than making necessary adjustments to the different practice regime,” he said of his spring training. “Basically, I’m controlling those things I can control.”
“I’ve been looking forward to pitching in MLB since I was a student, but the idea that I would be making my debut in MLB at Tokyo Dome is something that would have surprised the heck out of me back then.”
