Roki Sasaki’s Dodgers Bullpen Transformation Continues With Dominant Outing

· Yahoo Sports

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki delivered another impressive relief outing against the San Francisco Giants in his new role.

Sasaki the dominant reliever

Roki Sasaki pitched a clean inning on Friday, September 25th, recording two strikeouts and allowing no hits or walks.

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Sasaki needed just 14 pitches to get through the order. His pitches all came in at a higher velocity than his season average.

His fastball stood out, averaging 100 mph, 2.2 mph above his season average; his splitter was 1.7 mph up, and his slider was 0.4 mph up as well, according to Baseball Savant.

Sep 25, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) pitches during the eighth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

He got two whiffs and three called strikes. More importantly, the horizontal break on all of his pitches was higher than average, and his slider got some extra vertical induced.

This was only Sasaki’s second outing in 2026 as a reliever, a role he has assumed since returning from the injured list after a blister on his middle finger.

His first outing was on Tuesday, September 22nd, when Sasaki allowed two hits but stranded both baserunners with two strikeouts.

Dave Roberts is impressed with Sasaki

After Friday’s game, manager Dave Roberts noted how dominant Sasaki is pitching in his new role.

“I think the fastball is better. I think the split’s better. And it’s also nice that he’s already done it,” Roberts said.

“Just in total, he’s just a better pitcher than he was last year and a lot more confident. And certainly the stuff was really good the last couple of outings.”

As a right-handed arm, Sasaki has established himself as a trustworthy arm, whether in the bullpen or the starting rotation.

Sep 25, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) pitches during the eighth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

He was the postseason closer last year, but with the rise of Tanner Scott and Edgardo Henriquez, along with the surprise emergence of Edwin Diaz, Sasaki will not be relied on as much as the bullpen trust tree grows.

“I think it’s just better to have as many guys that you have confidence in and leverage. It just allows us to deploy guys whenever we need to. I feel comfortable with a lot of guys at the back end for sure,” Roberts added.

Whether he comes in during the seventh, eighth, or ninth inning, Sasaki is no longer a question mark, and he pitches like an exclamation point.

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