The Los Angeles Dodgers still haven’t seen the full package of what Roki Sasaki can bring to their pitching staff.
But pitching coach Mark Prior thinks that will change this year.
Prior opened up about Sasaki’s development and said he expects to see the 24-year-old’s “full version” in Year 2 with the Dodgers.
Sasaki, who of course signed last January with the Dodgers after coming over from the Nippon Baseball League in Japan, went 1-1 with a 4.46 ERA in 10 appearances and eight starts last year.
The righty converted to LA’s bullpen in the postseason, pitching to a 0.84 ERA and earning three saves in 10 2/3 innings while helping the Dodgers win the World Series over the Toronto Blue Jays in seven games.
Mark Prior Predicts We’ll See ‘The Full Version’ Of Roki Sasaki in 2026
Prior, who was a highly touted prospect that turned into a dominant major-league starter, knows what it’s like to pitch with expectations. He assessed Sasaki’s 2025 season and explained his unique year where he went from the a regular-season starter to postseason closer, with a right-shoulder impingement in between.
“I think with Roki, it was an interesting year,” Prior said on the “Dodgers Territory” podcast. “It was a learning year no matter how he slices it. He started off, obviously, with high expectations. As the injury comes, a role transition, and pitching in big moments in the playoffs. So there was a lot for him to kind of digest and learn from.”
Still, Sasaki is a starting pitcher and can be a dominant one with the right tutelage. Prior predicted Dodgers fans, and the baseball world, will see what Sasaki can do, barring injury.
“We never got to see the healthy version of Roki as a starter,” Prior said. “That’s intriguing, I think, for everybody. At the end [of the season] we got a taste of a healthy Roki. This year I think we’re going to see the full version of Roki and then we actually get to see him grow and mature as a starting pitcher in the major leagues.”
Mark Prior Plans To Work With Roki Sasaki To Improve His Pitch Arsenal
Sasaki was primarily a two-pitch pitcher, since he threw either his four-seam fastball or his split-finger fastball about 83.5% of the time on the mound.
That arsenal can work out of relief, especially when closing since he’s only seeing an opposing hitter once per game. But Sasaki is going to need to develop his sinker and slider, which he only threw on 103 of 621 pitches (16.6%) according to Baseball Savant.
So part of developing and showcasing the full scope of his pitching capabilities is Sasaki working on his sinker and slider. Prior has plans to do so while also keeping Sasaki pitching to his strengths.
“Ultimately, he has a high-velocity fastball when he’s right, and he has that nasty split-finger pitch,” Prior said. “Adding those other pitches is a conversation that’s been going on since the beginning of last summer, even when he was on the IL. But you don’t want to take away from what his strengths are, so he’ll constantly be monitored just so we’re not pulling back from the other things.”
Dodgers Pitching Coach Mark Prior Makes Bold Roki Sasaki Prediction Before Spring Training