Roki Sasaki is finally feeling the pressure after dismissing struggles in Dodgers camp

There was a lot of frustration that stemmed from Roki Sasaki's spring training performance, though perhaps most of that consternation was rooted in the fact that the 24-year-old himself didn't seem to take those struggles seriously. A 15.58 ERA during the exhibition slate may not mean much for a veteran pitcher with a long, proven track record, but Sasaki is nowhere close to that level of established.

His first start of the 2026 regular season did come with better results — he allowed just one run to the Cleveland Guardians over four innings — but Sasaki faced the music after walking two batters and giving up four hits. He told reporters that his confidence during the start was nonexistent, a far cry from the NPB wunderkind who shredded through the best hitters Japan had to offer.

Manager Dave Roberts was right to suggest that the performance was a step in the right direction; Sasaki approached the game with a smart plan of attack, peppering left-handed batters with fastballs and splitters while relying on his slider to keep righties at bay.

Still, the team will need to see a lot more from the second-year starter before he gains enough trust to start during a postseason series.

Roki Sasaki facing crucial stretch during early portion of Dodgers' season

Sasaki deserves a lot of credit for smoothly shifting into a high-leverage bullpen role last October when the Dodgers needed any semblance of reliability in the back of the bullpen. That he notched three saves and a 0.84 ERA under the brightest lights in the sport is all the proof of concept anyone should have needed to buy into his upside.

Still, that doesn't take away from the fact that his rookie season, on the whole, was underwhelming. His final line included a 4.46 ERA and 1.43 WHIP over 36 1/3 innings across eight starts, with 28 strikeouts, plus a shoulder impingement that sent him to the injured list for an extended period of time.

His first start of 2026 was good, but it didn't quite quell fears about his long-term prospects as a MLB starting pitcher. His pitch locations were inconsistent and all over the map, and he continued to struggle to get hitters to chase outside the zone and bite at his best offerings.

Sasaki's second start of the season — slated for April 5 against a fledgling Washington Nationals team — will be an illuminating test as he works to further hone his control. He's also on pace to start against the middling lineups fielded by the Colorado Rockies (in Colorado) and Miami Marlins (at home) later in the month, so there's plenty of runway for the right-hander to find his footing and confidence before the dog days of summer.