Roki Sasaki of the Los Angeles Dodgers (24) had a disappointing Major League Baseball debut.

Sasaki started in the game against the Chicago Cubs held at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, on 19th, recording 3 innings, 1 hit allowed, 5 walks, 3 strikeouts, and 1 earned run.

Sasaki, who recorded 56 pitches, used a four-seam fastball (37 pitches), a splitter (15 pitches), and a slider (4 pitches). His fastest four-seam pitch reached 100.5 miles per hour (about 161.7 km/h), with a 50% swing-and-miss rate for the splitter and a 100% swing-and-miss rate for the slider. However, after allowing 2 walks in the 2nd inning and issuing 3 more walks in the 3rd inning, he gave up a run on a bases-loaded walk and was replaced by Luis Garcia in the 4th inning, concluding his appearance for the day. The Dodgers won 6-3.

Sasaki, who recorded a career total of 64 games (394⅔ innings) with 29 wins and 15 losses and an earned run average of 2.10 in Nippon Professional Baseball, joined the Dodgers in January with great expectations as one of Japan's top aces. Many Major League Baseball teams wanted Sasaki, but he signed a rookie contract worth $6.5 million (about 9.5 billion won) with the Dodgers and made his historic big league debut from his home country.

Japanese media outlet Full Count reported that "it was a bitter Major League Baseball debut, but he certainly showed glimpses of his potential," quoting the evaluation of baseball commentator Toshihiro Noguchi, who has played for four teams including Yakult and Hanshin.

"It was a Major League Baseball debut, and it was the opening series in Tokyo. It’s natural to be nervous, having started as a minor league contract and signed a Major League contract just before the opening. Anyone would have found it hard to be in such a situation. He was completely tense in the first inning. He threw 100-mile-per-hour fastballs in succession and retired the side in order. However, it appears that his balance broke down from the 2nd inning, moments after returning to the bench and catching his breath," he said.

"He is not a pitcher who issues walks like that," Noguchi emphasized, adding, "Still, he managed to imprint on the world that he can throw powerful pitches. He has already gained significant attention as a 'monster' who crossed the sea, and he showed enough promise even in just the first inning. Moving forward, he probably won’t be as tense. He is expected to approach the game while maintaining his composure. If he can get through the early stages of the game well and smoothly progress from there, there shouldn’t be any issues ahead," he said, expressing anticipation for Sasaki's performance.

Sasaki also violated the pitch clock in the 2nd inning. "It can’t be helped, since it’s his first experience," Noguchi said, adding, "There’s no choice but to adapt and learn as he goes." He went on to express concern about allowing 2 stolen bases, saying, "Even in Japan, opposing teams were trying to disrupt Sasaki with their speed. The Cubs likely have that information as well. It’s highly likely that the perception in the U.S. will spread that 'the key to attacking Sasaki is base running.'"

In Major League Baseball, the number of pick-off attempts per plate appearance is limited to 2. "We need to think about when to make those two pick-off attempts," Noguchi emphasized, adding, "Ultimately, strategies have to be established at both the battery and team level. Aspects like slide step and quick motion also need to be addressed." He further advised, "Some pitchers in Major League Baseball believe that even if they allow stolen bases, as long as they can prevent runners from scoring, that’s enough. Sasaki needs to consider whether he will focus on preventing stolen bases or on preventing runs."

After finishing the Tokyo series, Sasaki will return to the U.S. to officially enter his first Major League Baseball season. As he is mentioned as a strong candidate for the National League Rookie of the Year, attention is focused on whether Sasaki can live up to expectations.

[OSEN]