"He’s kind of like a Paul Skenes" – MLB analyst unpacks Roki Sasaki’s incredible potential and Dodgers’ dominant pitching staff

On Friday, January 17, highly-touted Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki confirmed his decision of joining the Los Angeles Dodgers. Since Sasaki is currently only 23, he is considered an international free agent and will sign a traditional rookie contract with the Dodgers, earning a salary equivalent to that of a regular MLB rookie.

On Monday, sportswriter Tom Verducci had his say on Sasaki's talent, comparing the Japanese ace to the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year, Paul Skenes. Verducci also talked about how Sasaki's addition improves an already amazing Dodgers pitching staff.

"If we put Roki [Sasaki] in a draft, he'd be a one-one. He's kind of like a Paul Skenes, he's not a finished product coming out, but pure stuff-wise, it's off the charts. If you look at the top pitching staffs of all time, I had to look this up, couple of Dodgers teams recently [have been there]. I think the Dodgers can push this number (.208 opponent batting average)," Verducci said.

Verducci also talked about the variety of pitches in Sasaki's arsenal, and which big league superstar the young Japanese star reminds him of.

"Sasaki's four-seamer was down a bit last year, caused a little bit of concern. The split is just a wipeout pitch, he's got tremendous movement down on that. The slider is a pitch he threw a little bit more last year, not a great pitch right now. I think you'll see the Dodgers tighten that up. The mechanics are just beautiful, the guy he reminds me of is Zack Wheeler," Verducci added.

Further, Verducci talked about how he expects Sasaki to hit the ground running with his new team.

"I think, because he's such a good athlete, he's going to hit the ground running. Now, his career high's only 129 innings, so he's not going to be a 150, 180-inning guy for the Dodgers this year, they'll have that six-man rotation. I do expect, he (Sasaki) is going to dominate," Verducci added.

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Los Angeles is the perfect place for Roki Sasaki to continue to grow

Having made his NPB debut in May of 2021, Roki Sasaki has already built up quite an impressive resume, with two NPB All-Star caps already to his name. The 23-year-old was also a part of the Japan team that won gold at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Now, having made the step up to the major leagues, it appears the Los Angeles Dodgers are the perfect team for Roki Sasaki to continue maturing.

(Left to right) Shohei Ohtani, Roki Sasaki and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Images from - Getty)

Under the tutelage of Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Sasaki is sure to have plenty of quality guidance about how to succesfully go about his business. With the Dodgers also assembling a team that is chock full of quality, Sasaki should also most likely get his first taste of postseason baseball in 2025.