"Roki Sasaki looks like a glass ace" - NPB legend throws scathing criticism at newly-acquired Dodgers starter

NPB legend Tatsuro Hirooka criticized the newly-minted Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki. Hirooka claimed Sasaki was a "glass ace" and would struggle in the big leagues given his thin build and pitching mechanics.

Sasaki made his MLB debut during the team's second game against the Chicago Cubs in the 2025 Tokyo Series. The "Monster of the Reiwa Era" pitched three innings in the contest, giving up one hit and one earned run with four strikeouts.

"Sasaki looks like a glass ace. Throwing pitches like that without a fully developed body will only lead to injury — that's the real concern," Hirooka said (translated by Jeffrey J. Hall).

Hirooka continued his tirade on the Dodgers ace by criticizing the latter's build and saying that Sasaki isn't prepared for what's in store stateside.

"He should have stayed in Japan and built a body capable of competing in MLB before crossing the ocean," Hirooka added. "He fell apart becausehis form is unbalanced. His lower body isn't developed enough so his mechanics aren't stable."

The NPB legend, who won five Japan Series titles as a pitcher and three as a manager, further broke down Sasaki's performance in his debut.

"In the first inning, he was more fired up than he ever was with Lotte," Hirooka said. "The talent is undeniably top class. I never once saw him pitch with that intensity-maybe because he was already thinking about MLB.

"But putting out that much effore in the first [inning] probably caused him to tense up and break down by the second inning. You have to give him some leeway there. Still, the fact that his mechanics collapsed so easily is proof his body isn't fully built yet."

Hirooka fired shots at Roki Sasaki for Dodgers move last year

Tatsuro Hirooka's criticism of Roki Sasaki wasn't built up overnight. In November 2024, the Japanese Baseball Hall of Famer cast his doubts and denunciation of Sasaki's supposed and eventual move to the Dodgers.

"Lotte is tired of his selfishness," Hirooka said. "Japan is not a stepping stone to MLB. If he goes down this path, he will fail even if he goes there.

"He'll collapse immediatel if he is put into a rotation in the majors where the rotation is strict with four or five days off. Even Yoshinobu Ymamoto got injured [when he transferred.]

The NPB icon's continuous disapproval of the Dodger pitcher's ways can be attributed to the fact that Sasaki's team in Japan, the Chiba Lotte Marines, preserved his rocket of an arm during his stay with the club.

Lotte chose not to play Sasaki during the pandemic-stricken 2020 season after drafting him in the 2019 NPB Draft. He made his debut in 2021 to great fanfare, but as Hirooka pointed out, the team has been guarding his arm, as seen by his 2024 season, in which he threw in only 18 games, compared to other teams' aces, who had about 25 starts last season.