PHOENIX — Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki showcased a revamped slider during a live batting practice session at Camelback Ranch on Saturday, drawing a swing-and-miss from teammate Hyeseong Kim, the Korean infielder who needed no translation to appreciate its effectiveness.
Project Roki is in full swing at the Dodgers' spring training facility, where the 24-year-old right-hander, a ninth-inning sensation from the team's most recent World Series run, is working diligently to secure a permanent spot in the starting rotation.
Sasaki arrives in Major League Baseball armed with the two pitches that established him as a dominant force in Japan and the country's most anticipated export since Shohei Ohtani: a blazing 100-mph fastball and a Wiffle-ball-like forkball.
Last year, more than 83% of Sasaki's pitches were either fastballs or forkballs, a reliance that experts say will make success as an MLB starter nearly impossible without expansion.
To address this, Sasaki is incorporating a slider or cutter—or potentially both—into his arsenal, marking a strategic evolution for the young phenom.
He has discarded the slower variation of the slider he used last season, which proved hittable and contributed to shoulder issues that sidelined him for four months.
Instead, Sasaki is experimenting with a faster version reminiscent of his earlier days in Japan, featuring a distinctive spiral spin that could prove pivotal in his quest for rotation stability.
