By returning to starting rotation, Sasaki gets chance to solidify rotation in 2026.
Roki Sasaki played a vital role in getting the Los Angeles Dodgers to a second consecutive World Series championship. It wasn't as a starting pitcher, though. Sasaki became Dodgers manager Dave Roberts' go-to ace out of the bullpen.
Out of the bullpen, Sasaki only allowed one run in 10 2/3 innings in postseason play. Key moments for him came in Games 3 and 6 in the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Next season, though, Sasaki is back in the starting rotation. He had to go back there, especially after Clayton Kershaw retired from a Hall-of-Fame-bound career as a World Series champion.
Sasaki can be one of the key elements to a Three-Peat for the Dodgers.
But last season didn't start off on the right foot as a starting pitcher. He spent time on the Injured List in May with a right shoulder impingement. Sasaki headed down to the minors for a rehab assignment and couldn't get the boost to his fastball back.
He has to watch out for his walks numbers. Sasaki needs to improve on this part of his game.
Sasaki has to make sure that his splitter is working effectively from the get-go. Roberts cannot afford to have the future second-year Japanese star slump. Sasaki joins a rotation that includes Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Shohei Ohtani.
The Dodgers are entering some hallowed ground in the MLB world. Not many teams throughout the decades of MLB history have been in position to win three straight World Series titles.
Sasaki has a chance to make that a reality in 2026 for the Dodgers. If he can bring the same type of intensity as a starter that he had as a reliever, then it might be another winning move for Los Angeles.