"The biggest thing, along with health, the Dodgers can hope to bank on from Roki Sasaki's midseason transformation is his mechanics. The cues they implemented to get him to use his lower half more were what was needed to get his velocity back to a place where his fastball couldn't get crushed in the strike zone. That allowed Sasaki to be in the strike zone more often, which helped out his unique splitter."
"Pegged as the top prospect in the sport, he ultimately signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He began the season as a starter - though a combination of injury and general ineffectiveness led to a lengthy stint away from the team in the Minor Leagues. However, as the regular season came to a close, Sasaki was brought up to be a bullpen option - and that resulted in the young right-handed pitcher developing into the team's best closer."
Roki Sasaki signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as the sport's top prospect and started the 2025 season in the rotation. Injuries and ineffectiveness forced a long Minor League stint. Late in the regular season he returned as a bullpen option and emerged as the team's most effective closer, delivering dominant postseason results. Mechanical adjustments emphasizing lower-body drive restored velocity and improved fastball command, which enhanced his splitter. If velocity remains near required levels, Sasaki possesses the pitch mix and mechanics to build toward a starting role. Projections place him in the Dodgers' rotation alongside Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow.
Read at Dodgers Nation
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