The Dodgers entered the offseason with dreams of Roki Sasaki after winning the World Series in 2024, and their mission is finally complete.
After the 23-year-old phenom narrowed down his list of finalists to the Dodgers, Padres, and Blue Jays, he settled on L.A. — a decision many expected but Sasaki apparently wrestled with.
The Dodgers won a championship in spite of rotation questions last season. Now, they boast not only one of the best arsenals of starters in baseball today, but perhaps also one of the best rotations in MLB history with Sasaki, Blake Snell, and even a healthy Shohei Ohtani joining the fray.
Here’s a look at who’s in and who’s out of the Dodgers’ starting rotation with Sasaki in the mix.
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Dodgers pitching rotation projection for 2025
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto
- Tyler Glasnow
- Blake Snell
- Shohei Ohtani
- Roki Sasaki
The Dodgers have at least three and potentially five pitchers who could be a legitimate No. 1 starter elsewhere. That means even a bumpy start for Sasaki, who could need time to settle in considering he doesn’t turn 24 until November, shouldn’t hurt L.A. much at all.
Returning from last season’s rotation are Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow, who each missed extended time with injuries in 2024. Yamamoto returned from a shoulder issue in September and showed flashes of brilliance in the postseason, while Glasnow is recovered from an elbow sprain but has a lengthy injury history that makes it tough to bank on a full 30-32 starts.
Adding rotation depth was a priority for the Dodgers due to those injury concerns, but what they have added goes beyond just depth. Snell, who has largely been durable throughout his career despite not giving his teams much length, is a two-time Cy Young Award winner who proved in both San Diego and San Francisco that he can dominate in the NL West.
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Sasaki has long-term ace potential, even if he won’t take the mantle as the Dodgers’ ace in 2025. Coming at a bargain because he’s an amateur free agent, Sasaki wasn’t a need for the Dodgers but was well worth the pursuit considering the success L.A. is having with other Japanese players.
Ohtani, meanwhile, is the wild card. He’s set to return to the mound in 2025, though he might not be ready for Opening Day. When he returns, will he look like the frontline starter he was with the Angels, or will two major elbow surgeries push him closer to league average? By adding someone like Sasaki (and Snell), the Dodgers don’t have to stress too much about the answer.
The Sasaki signing leaves the Dodgers with plenty of rotation depth, as well, with Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, Bobby Miller, and Landon Knack all in the organization. Even Clayton Kershaw plans to pitch in 2025, though he remains a free agent.
Not every arm will be healthy for the Dodgers next season, as Emmet Sheehan will miss at least a portion of the year after Tommy John Surgery. Gavin Stone is also set to miss the entire season following shoulder surgery.
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What Roki Sasaki brings to Dodgers rotation
Sasaki is only 23, but his name has long been on the minds of MLB fans. With a 2.02 ERA and just 16 home runs allowed in 414.2 professional innings, the flamethrower certainly has a case to be one of the best pitching prospects to ever come from Japan — a country that has produced Yu Darvish, Masahiro Tanaka, Shota Imanaga, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the last 15 years alone.
Sasaki is not Yamamoto 2.0 despite coming to the majors with similar buzz. He might not be quite as polished as Yamamoto, which is understandable for a 23-year-old, but he is six inches taller and has a frame that could help keep him durable long-term.
Sasaki has a high-upside fastball that averaged 96.8 mph in 2024 and touched 102 mph earlier in his career. His most dangerous pitch, though, might be his splitter. Sasaki produced a 57.1 percent whiff rate with his splitter, a mark no MLB starter reached with that pitch in 2024. Sasaki also boasts a slider ranging between 83-85 mph.
Considering Sasaki didn’t miss as many bats with his fastball in 2024, it could very well be that he starts strong at the MLB before hitters start to adjust to him, forcing him to adjust again. For someone who likely hasn’t even hit his prime years, though, Sasaki’s arsenal is ahead of schedule.
The Dodgers have the luxury of letting Sasaki work through any early-career bumps he might have. In fact, he will have minor-league options on his rookie contract allowing them to demote him if he struggles early on. While that scenario might not be likely for Sasaki, L.A. has so many rotation options that the franchise can take his development as slowly as it wants.
As Paul Skenes proved in 2024, however, hitters typically have to adjust to great pitchers rather than the other way around. If Sasaki is as lethal as scouts believe he is, he can give the Dodgers another high-end starter right now.