Hopes are high for the latest addition to the Los Angeles Dodgers' rotation. Young Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki joins a group that has the potential to be one of the greatest rotations in Major League Baseball — boasting the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May (not to mention future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw, who feels like a lock to return for an 18th season with the team).
The Dodgers have a track record of impressive rookie performances dating back the better part of a century — so in anticipation of Sasaki's rookie campaign, let's look back at three of the most electric seasons Dodgers rookie pitchers have ever turned in.
Looking back on the 3 most electric Dodgers rookie pitching seasons of all time after this year's Roki Sasaki signing
3: Young Don Newcombe quickly made a name for himself in 1949
As a 23-year-old with two seasons in the Negro Leagues under his belt, right-hander Don Newcombe became just the third Black pitcher in Major League Baseball as a member of the '49 Brooklyn Dodgers — and wasted no time showing he belonged in the big leagues.
The formidable Newcombe was a force in the Dodgers rotation from the start, leading the league with five shutouts en route to 17 wins, 244 1/3 innings of work and a 130 ERA+. His 5.5 bWAR ranked eighth among pitchers as he dominated National League Rookie of the Year voting, earning 21 of a possible 24 first-place votes.
That was just the start for Newcombe, who won 19 games the following year and 20 in 1951 before mandatory service in the Korean War put his career on pause. It took him a year to settle back in, but once he did, he picked up right where he left off, winning 20 games and a World Series title in '55 and then turning in the best season of his career in 1956 that ended with him winning both MVP and Cy Young on the heels of a 27-win campaign.
2: Hideo Nomo burst onto the scene — but never re-captured that magic
Similar to Newcombe, Nomo was a trailblazer when he made his MLB debut in 1995. He was the first Japanese-born player to appear in a big-league game in three decades — and his signature windup, as quirky of a pitching motion as Craig Counsell's batting stance — kept opponents off-balance all season long.
Nomo quickly endeared himself to Dodgers fans as he was absolutely dominant in his home starts that year, working to a 1.73 ERA at Dodger Stadium (3.41 ERA on the road). The right-hander led the league in shutouts, strikeouts, H/9, K/9, and — notably — wild pitches.
Hideo Nomo’s success in the 1990s opened the door for every modern Japanese pitcher in MLB. pic.twitter.com/aAP0DpdtqU
— MLB (@MLB) March 18, 2024
His efforts ended in National League Rookie of the Year honors and a fourth-place finish in NL Cy Young voting. Funnily enough, that was the only year Nomo would earn any individual hardware of any kind — he was never again a Cy Young finalist or even an All-Star. Nearly half of his 20.9 career bWAR came in his first two seasons in the league.
1: Fernandomania grabbed the city in 1981 and never let go
After getting his first taste of big-league action late in the 1980 season, Fernando Valenzuela hit the ground running the following spring and never looked back.
He opened the year 8-0, tossing an unthinkable seven complete games and five shutouts for an ERA of just 0.50 - a mark that has only once been challenged by another MLB rookie: by Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga in 2024. From there, Valenzuela slowed but never faltered, going on to lead the league in starts, complete games, shutouts, innings pitched and strikeouts — and finishing the year at 13-7 with a 2.48 ERA.
The awards and honors poured in: Valenzuela was the National League Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Award winner — the first pitcher to win both in a single season. Oh, and not only did he experience tremendous regular-season success as a rookie; he helped lead the Dodgers to a World Series championship, the franchise's first since 1978.
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