Just weeks before Opening Day, concern is quietly building around one of the most exciting arms in baseball.
Roki Sasaki — the Japanese sensation expected to strengthen the Los Angeles Dodgers’ powerhouse rotation — has struggled through his first spring training outings, leaving fans wondering whether the hype arrived too early.
In two preseason appearances, Sasaki hasn’t looked like the overpowering ace scouts once predicted. His command has wavered, his rhythm seems off, and the once-certain fifth spot in the Dodgers rotation suddenly feels less secure.
With stars like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Shohei Ohtani already anchoring the staff, the Dodgers expected Sasaki to slide smoothly into place. Instead, the competition is quietly heating up.
Young arms like Emmet Sheehan, Justin Wrobleski, and River Ryan are waiting in the wings — and in a championship-caliber clubhouse, opportunities rarely stay open for long.
Yet not everyone believes the situation is as serious as it looks.
Former MLB player and MLB Network analyst Harold Reynolds offered a surprisingly simple explanation for Sasaki’s struggles.
According to Reynolds, the issue may not be mechanical or physical at all — it could be the catcher’s target.
He noticed that the catcher’s glove often shifts or disappears right before Sasaki releases the ball, something that can disrupt a pitcher’s timing and command.
Reynolds compared it to a strange but vivid example:
“Imagine throwing darts… and right before you release the dart, someone drops the dartboard.”
That split-second distraction can force a pitcher to rush his delivery, causing pitches to drift out of the strike zone.
Reynolds also pointed out that Sasaki appears to rely heavily on pitches on the outer half of the plate rather than attacking hitters with authority.
For a pitcher with elite velocity and a devastating splitter, the solution might not require reinvention.
It might simply require confidence.
“Throw strikes,” Reynolds emphasized. “What’s more important — throwing strikes or trying to trick somebody?”
If Sasaki regains that aggressive mindset, the Dodgers’ already terrifying rotation could become even more dominant.
But if the struggles linger, the race for the final rotation spot may become one of the most intense battles of spring training.
And with Opening Day rapidly approaching, every pitch now carries a little more pressure.
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