Dodgers' comeback victory vs Nationals can't silence loud Roki Sasaki discussion

The Los Angeles Dodgers pulled off an epic comeback on Sunday thanks to the bat of Shohei Ohtani and LA's other gifted hitters. Down 6-1 to the Washington Nationals by the fourth inning, the defending champs clawed themselves back, ultimately winning the game 8-6 and sweeping the series, bringing their record to 7-2 on the young season.

Speaking of young, Roki Sasaki, who was responsible for Washington's six runs on Sunday, is still just 24 years old. Even so, his inconsistency on the mound already feels like an old, tiresome narrative for Dodgers fans. Through two starts in 2026, Roki hasn't tallied a win, and more importantly, he hasn't looked completely comfortable.

Roki Sasaki still hasn't arrived as a consistent MLB performer for Dodgers

While some fans are being way too harsh on Sasaki, it's undeniably troublesome to see the right-hander getting off to another rough start. In 2025, Sasaki's rookie season, his struggles out of the gate were such that he was ultimately removed from the Dodgers' pitching plan entirely. Injuries played a role in this, but Sasaki's temperament was also called into question.

A late-season renaissance as a bullpen piece for the Dodgers — replete with some gutsy postseason outings — completely revitalized Sasaki's reputation. In turn, the Dodgers' leadership spent the offseason doubling down on their initial plans for Sasaki to be an elite starter.

Fans wondering why the Dodgers weren't more divided on Sasaki this winter ("Why not keep him a closer? He's good at it!") stayed silent and trusted the process that's delivered two rings in two years, but then spring training arrived, and the Sasaki questions once again emerged.

His struggles in camp were easy to dismiss on account of all things spring training being ultimately flaky, but now that we're two starts into the Roki Sasaki 2026 experience, there's no hiding from the difficult conversation.

Roki Sasaki is still developing, but the Dodgers only care about what he can do right now

Is Sasaki truly cut out to be a starter? Furthermore, how long is his leash with Dave Roberts, as compared with 2025? We don't know the answers to these questions, and the Dodgers themselves might be wrestling with them at the moment. Sasaki's talent level is so striking that it's very difficult not to want to keep extending opportunities for him to take up a spot in a rotation, even with LA having incredible starting pitching depth.

At the same time, Sasaki's inconsistency, paired with his seemingly fragile demeanor (key word: seemingly), makes one wonder: If Sasaki had completely melted in his postseason outings last fall, would any of us have really been surprised?

On a team full of such sturdy, reliable superstars, Sasaki stands out as a fascinating Dodgers outlier. He's like a streaking comet set against a backdrop of glorious, stationary stars — you don't know whether to feel excitement or apprehension whenever he comes into view. It's always a bit of both.

For now, Sasaki and his unpredictable gene only make the Dodgers a more riveting watch. But come October, that entertainment factor will no longer be welcome by fans who are looking for surety. We have to keep in mind, as aforementioned, that Sasaki is still quite young. His maturation as a big leaguer will extend far beyond 2026, but at the moment, LA is hyper-focused on three-peating, and thoughts of any date beyond this year are nowhere to be found.