Roki Sasaki makes feelings known on Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s impact at Dodgers camp

Roki Sasaki is coming into the 2025 MLB season as one of the most hyped and dynamic pitching prospects in recent memory. The young Los Angeles Dodgers' MLB debut has drawn comparisons with Pittsburgh Pirates star Paul Skenes, who has quickly cemented himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball.

At 23, Roki Sasaki has the chance to secure a spot in arguably the best pitching rotation in baseball. Known for his lights out, triple-digit fastball, and his incredible splitter, Sasaki has all the tools to make an immediate impact for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025.

Nevertheless, no matter how talented he is, Roki Sasaki will also have to adjust to not only MLB batter, but also living in the United States and dealing with a new culture. Luckily for Sasaki, the rookie phenom has two teammates that have already had to go through everything he will while moving from Japan to the USA: Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

“From the first day of camp they’ve been really helpful guiding me through things I don’t know about," Sasaki said of Ohtani and Yamamoto.

There has been some criticism about the Los Angeles Dodgers' ability to bring a number of highly-touted Japanese players when they make the move to Major League Baseball. That being said, it's clear that global superstar Shohei Ohtani and sophmore pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto have made the Dodgers a comfortable place for players transitioning to the MLB game.

Sasaki will have the eyes of Major League Baseball upon him when he makes his debut. After tearing it up in Nippon Professional Baseball and crossing off a number of notable milestones in the process, including throwing a perfect game back in 2022. If he can bring that level of success into the Majors, the Los Angeles Dodgers might have yet another true superstar on their roster.

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Roki Sasaki is expected to make his MLB debut during the Tokyo Series

For the second year in a row, the Los Angeles Dodgers will open their campaign in Asia. Last season, the Dodgers face the San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea. This season, the team will open their season against the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo, Japan.

According to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, the expectation is that both Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki will start the two games in Japan. Although Sasaki's MLB debut will not come on North American soil, the Chicago Cubs are not an easy matchup for any pitcher and should give him a real taste of the level of competition in Major League Baseball.