There’s a reason he was regarded as one of the best pitching prospects in baseball history.

There’s a reason every team wanted him.

There’s a reason the Los Angeles Dodgers have had an unwavering belief in him turning things around.

Roki Sasaki is only 24 years old, and he’s suddenly showing signs of being the next great pitcher in Major League Baseball.

On Friday night, Sasaki put together the best start of his major league career, hurling seven shutout innings while allowing just two hits and two walks with a career-high 10 strikeouts.

He generated 17 swings-and-misses across his 98 pitches. He touched 100 mph with his fastball twice.

“This is the guy that we saw on video in Japan and that we hoped to get,” manager Dave Roberts said after the game.

When the Dodgers won the Sasaki sweepstakes ahead of the 2025 season, they were expecting to get a triple-digit flamethrower with one of the nastiest splitters in baseball.

Instead, they got a work in progress.

After touching triple digits in his debut (which happened to come in Japan in the Tokyo Series against the Chicago Cubs), Sasaki’s velocity disappeared.

He lacked command of the baseball, and moreover, lacked confidence.

After just eight starts, Sasaki went on the injured list with a right shoulder impingement. Four months later, he returned without a spot in the rotation.

The Dodgers moved Sasaki to the bullpen, where he displayed the brilliance that labeled him a top pitching prospect in MLB. Then, he returned to the starting rotation this year, and reverted back to his struggles.

Through the first seven starts of 2026, Sasaki had a 5.88 ERA, completing six innings just once. Despite the struggles, the Dodgers continued to believe in him, and made it clear he would remain in the rotation no matter what.

Then, on May 17 against the Los Angeles Angels, he found something.

Sasaki pitched seven innings of one-run ball with a career-high eight strikeouts. An opposing Angels hitter stated Sasaki had “figured it out.”

Over the next two starts — against much better competition in the Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies — Sasaki continued to show signs of life. He allowed a total of three earned runs over 10.1 innings, and even hit triple digits with his fastball against the Phillies.

Then came his performance against the Angels on Friday night.

Seven innings. Zero runs. Ten strikeouts.

“If you look at the last six or seven stats, it’s been as good as any starter in the big leagues in the consistency of performance,” Roberts said. “I certainly think we can all agree that the floor for Roki is much higher, and the expectation every time he takes the ball is high, and he’s earned that.”

This is who the Dodgers were expecting. This is why the Dodgers have maintained a strong belief in him figuring things out.

“I think we are all guilty of expecting it to be seamless, and it’s certainly unfair to Roki and not appreciating there has to be some transition period,” Roberts said.

“He went through some tough times, some doubts, but he’s gotten to the other side.”

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