Roki Sasaki’s year with the Dodgers left the same nagging question hanging around him: how far along is he, really?
The buzz that followed him into the 2024-2025 offseason was massive, with roughly two-thirds of the league reportedly fighting over him. But since then, the ride in Los Angeles has been bumpy. Sasaki has dealt with injury, a demotion, and a move to the bullpen, all while trying to live up to the kind of hype that paints a pitcher as a potential generational talent.
What has made the situation even messier is the perception around him inside the organization. There have been concerns about his personality and how well he has fit with the Dodgers.
In his first year, he came off as isolated and highly resistant to help. He also drew attention for saying he was responsible for his own post-injury rebound as a reliever, even though pitching director Rob Hill played a major role during Sasaki’s lengthy stay in Triple-A.
That backdrop makes his comments after the Dodgers were swept by the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS stand out even more. Sasaki said, "My goal is to put up good numbers as a starter in the regular season and win individual titles," a line that does little to quiet the doubts about his perspective.
It also lands awkwardly against the results. Last season, his aim was to fight his way into the Dodgers’ postseason rotation, and that never happened.
He wound up throwing 3⅔ innings out of the bullpen in eight games. In 2026, he was healthier, but the production barely moved; his ERA was 4.49, nearly the same as his rookie mark of 4.46 in 2025.
And when the postseason arrived, he still wasn’t reliable enough to lean on consistently.
That’s why the conversation around Sasaki feels a lot less about accolades and a lot more about basics. He may want to dream about a Cy Young, but first he has to make it back to a postseason rotation.
And that’s the bigger point here: wanting to be elite is one thing. Saying it before he has earned much trust is another. Dave Roberts said before Opening Day that it could take two or three years for Sasaki to reach his full potential, and the Dodgers have been careful from the start to frame him as unfinished.
If that timetable is right, 2027 might be the season when Sasaki finally settles into himself. But after another uneven Dodgers campaign, he hasn’t built up enough credibility with the team or the fanbase to be talking about winning a Cy Young next year.
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