It’s no exaggeration to say that Roki Sasaki was a godsend for the Los Angeles in 2025.
With the bullpen in virtual disarray during the final week of the regular season, the highly touted rookie returned in what appeared to be a passable relief appearance against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
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He struck out two batters in a dominant inning. He then showed a performance in the game against Seattle and the Mariners, getting two strikeouts in one inning.
Sasaki ended up on the wild card roster, and the rest, as they say, is history.
jack harris Los Angeles Times We recently analyzed Sasaki’s transition to the bullpen and lack of experience in closing. He considered resetting and taking the rest of the year off, but the opportunity to play in the postseason was too much for Sasaki.
“As he later told Shukan Bunshun, he was initially ‘very hesitant’ about such a move. There was a time when he was a closer in middle school, but during his rise from high school to the pros, all he knew was being a starter,” Harris wrote.
“But a few things tipped the scales for him. He yearned for a chance to pitch in a postseason environment. He saw an opportunity to help a team in dire need of relief depth. And after a trying rookie season, he finally found a comfort level with the club and regained the confidence he lacked at the start of the season.”
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Before allowing a run and slowing his pitch in Game 1 against the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday, Sasaki pitched 5.1 innings with a 0.00 ERA and allowed just one hit in that span. His incredible accomplishments included pitching three perfect innings in the series-clinching Game 4 against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Photo by Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
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