Roki Sasaki's Ridiculous Splitter, Triple-Digits Fastball Left MLB Fans in Awe

Roki Sasaki came out firing in his MLB debut.
Roki Sasaki came out firing in his MLB debut. / @SpectrumSportsnet

Roki Sasaki wasted no time impressing MLB fans in his debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Chicago Cubs at the Tokyo Dome on Wednesday. Sasaki, heralded as one of the best pitchers in the world, struggled a bit with his command but gave fans a glimpse at his staggering arsenal in three innings of work.

First, with adrenaline pumping through his veins pitching in front of his native country's home fans, Sasaki lit up the radar gun. Facing Cubs outfielder Ian Happ in the bottom of the first inning, Sasaki proceeded to hit 99 MPH-plus on each of the first five pitches he threw.

Fans were impressed.

Then, facing a bases-loaded jam with two outs and a 1-2 count, Sasaki struck out Cubs infielder Matt Shaw on a ridiculous breaking ball.

In three innings, Sasaki allowed one earned run, walked five and struck out three batters. Command issues aside, there's absolutely no doubt that Sasaki's arsenal will play at the big-league level.


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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.