The Los Angeles Dodgers have some of the best pitchers in all of Major League Baseball to go with their star-studded lineup.
But, there is one major issue with the rotation: what to do with Roki Sasaki. He’s got plenty of potential, but the 24-year-old has struggled far too much in the rotation recently.
David Adler of MLB.com believes that Sasaki could get back on track and succeed as a starter if he can turn his new pitch, which is a slider, into a key part of his arsenal to give him a true three-pitch mix.
Key to Roki Sasaki’s success might be new slider
“If Roki is going to succeed as a starter, this pitch is going to play a big role,” Adler writes. “He can’t really be a two-pitch pitcher with a fastball and splitter, especially when his command of those two pitches is as erratic as it has been.”
The Dodgers need Sasaki to have more than just his fastball and splitter working to be a successful full-time starting pitcher.
He had success out of the bullpen last year, but that should be a last resort in his career. Ideally, he turns into a key starter for Los Angeles for a long time.
To best do so, Sasaki’s best chance would be to incorporate his new slider into the mix as a very legitimate threat to throw in any count, and to use as a putaway pitch.
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It’s currently averaging 88 mph to go with a drop of, as Adler notes, “2-3 inches above average.”
This slider is looking good, and if Sasaki can keep this up and get his other pitches under control, he could turn into the full-time starter the Dodgers are hoping for.
He’s only 24 years old, and he’s not been in the Major Leagues for long at all. There were bound to be some bumps and bruises along the way.
But if he can figure out this slider and add it to a fastball and splitter for a quality three-pitch mix, Sasaki might finally be able to turn the corner into a full-time starting pitcher with superstar upside.