Roki Sasaki might be dreaming a little too big after shaky 2026 Dodgers campaign

Even after two years, Los Angeles Dodgers fans still don't quite know what to make of Roki Sasaki. A pitcher who two-thirds of the league was fighting over during the 2024-2025 offseason has been injured, demoted, and moved into the bullpen since being hyped up as a potentially generational talent.

There have been concerns about his personality and how well he's fit in in the Dodgers' organization. In his first year, Sasaki seemed isolated and incredibly resistant to help. He infamously credited himself with his post-injury comeback as a reliever, even though pitching director Rob Hill had a heavy hand in it during Sasaki's protracted stay in Triple-A.

After the Dodgers were swept by the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS, Sasaki said, "My goal is to put up good numbers as a starter in the regular season and win individual titles," which doesn't really help that image.

Last year, his goal was to work his way into the Dodgers' postseason rotation. He didn't do that. He pitched 3⅔ innings out of LA's bullpen in eight games. He had a healthier year in 2026, but his ERA was almost identical to that of his rookie year (4.46 in 2025 and 4.49 in 2026), and he still wasn't trustworthy enough to turn to regularly in the postseason.

Maybe he should work his way back to making next year's postseason rotation before he dreams too big about a Cy Young.

Roki Sasaki should temper his expectations after another disappointing Dodgers season

Sure, every pitcher, especially the starters, come into a season wanting to be Cy Young-level good. That's an appropriate mentality for a competitor to have. But combined with concerns about Sasaki's ego, his age, and his resistance to receiving help in the past, it comes across like he's getting a little too big for his britches and should maybe take it back down to a team-oriented approach.

Dave Roberts said ahead of Opening Day that it could take two or three years for Sasaki to grow into his full potential. The Dodgers have tried to be intentional about their messaging on him from the beginning: he's an unfinished product.

If that timeline holds any water, maybe 2027 is the year we'll finally see Sasaki come into his own. But he hasn't earned enough goodwill with either the fanbase or the team to be making any pronouncements about trying to win a Cy Young next year.

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