When you look back at the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 2025 postseason run, one player besides Yoshinobu Yamamoto who was pivotal in helping the team reach the World Series was Roki Sasaki.

Much of the Dodgers’ pitching success during that postseason came from the starting rotation, while the bullpen took more of a backseat.

In 2024, the script was flipped. The bullpen played a huge role in helping the Dodgers defeat the New York Yankees, while the starting rotation took a backseat.

But in 2026, things are much different on both sides.

The Dodgers have spent back-to-back offseasons improving their bullpen, signing Tanner Scott in 2025 and bringing in perhaps the biggest name among relievers this offseason, Edwin Diaz. The star power in the Dodgers’ bullpen is now far more balanced than it has been in previous years.

That brings the Dodgers to their next question: What will be the impact of Roki Sasaki as they take on a Milwaukee Brewers team that seemingly had the best record in Major League Baseball?

That question may be difficult to answer, especially when looking at Sasaki’s 2026 numbers.

He struggled during the regular season, posting a 5-5 record with a 4.49 ERA across 26 appearances. While he did see an improvement in his WHIP, it was not a season in which he showed a significant amount of improvement across the board.

Still, Sasaki has the ability to change that narrative, especially as the postseason gets more difficult and the Dodgers prepare to face one of the best teams in the National League.

For those who may have forgotten, the Dodgers’ 2025 World Series run likely would not have been possible without Sasaki and his ability to come out of the bullpen and shut down both the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS and the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series.

A majority of his impact came during the championship series.

Across nine appearances, Sasaki posted a 0.84 ERA over 10.2 innings while recording three saves. One thing that stood out in his performance, and something that has hindered him throughout his young career, was his struggle to limit walks.

Aside from that, Sasaki remained an effective arm who helped the Dodgers go back-to-back in 2024 and 2025.

That brings Sasaki to his 2026 postseason numbers.

Against the Atlanta Braves, Sasaki made one appearance in Game 2 of the NLDS. While it was not a high-leverage situation, it allowed him to lay the foundation for what he might be able to do in a larger role against the Brewers.

Again, with the depth the Dodgers added during the offseason, it will be more difficult for Sasaki to fulfill the same role he had last postseason.

But having a weapon that Dave Roberts can turn to when he needs an electric arm could allow Sasaki to find some of the same success.

With Edwin Diaz expected to have a much larger role in the postseason following his struggles during the 2026 regular season, the question is not necessarily whether Sasaki can remain a highly effective arm.

Instead, it is about what he can contribute to a team that already has a plethora of arms available and how he can add to that depth when his name is called.

The Dodgers are certainly going to need all they can get against a Brewers team that has already found a lot of success this postseason.

The Brewers look very similar to their 2025 counterpart.

Their pitching staff has seemingly taken a huge step forward this year even without the likes of Brandon Woodruff and other arms. They are also a fundamental team that does the basics nearly perfectly and has experience against this Dodgers team.

For the Dodgers to have a chance at repeating as World Series champions, they will need to play their best brand of baseball.

That means every player will likely need to contribute.

For Sasaki, that puts him in a position to show that he can still be an effective arm when the postseason lights are at their brightest.