Dodgers Rookie Emerges as Dave Roberts’ Much-Needed Secret Weapon in World Series Hunt

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ biggest weakness is their bullpen. They rank in the bottom half of the league in ERA, with a staggering 23 blown saves this season, with a 62% conversion rate, which is 4th worst among the contending teams. These late-game collapses have cost them dearly, especially in September, and it’s a problem that manager Dave Roberts must solve quickly if they want to win back-to-back World Series. And yet, as October approaches, a strange twist of fate may deliver them an unlikely savior.

It’s not a veteran closer with postseason scars, but a 23-year-old rookie with untapped potential, who soon collapsed with his early struggles in the big leagues and then was sidelined with a shoulder issue. That unlikely savior, Roki Sasaki, has posted a 7.07 ERA, giving up 11 runs, raising serious doubts in his first 4 rehab outings in the minors. And his average velocity around 93-96 mph was nowhere near the promised 102 mph. But then, in his very last chance in Sacramento, something clicked and Sasaki averaged 98.3 mph, touched 100.6, and generated 16 whiffs, more than he had in any outing all year.

For the Dodgers, whose bullpen is begging for stability, now the question is: What do they do with Roki now? With that debate lit up,  MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand recently said, “His rehab ends this weekend, so they’re gonna have to make a decision one way or another.  He hit 100..triple digits on his fastball six times in that outing the other night,… 16 whiffs, the velocity’s back…… So, whatever he sort of found or maybe he’s just feeling healthier, the velocity’s back, and I think he’s gonna potentially be a big piece of this Dodgers bullpen come October.”

And in response, Analyst Yonder Alonso supported that with little humor, “The Dodgers are like the CIA of baseball. He might not pitch at all, or he could close tonight. But you can’t deny 100 mph.” That kind of mystery only deepened the intrigue. So where does the skipper stand?

Though manager Dave Roberts publicly supported his struggling bullpen, he knows he can’t have “blind faith forever”. When asked about Sasaki’s chance to be in the bullpen, Roberts said, “Just to be honest with Roki and kind of where he’s at, what’s best for him, and what’s best for us. That question is going to be asked because you can argue both, whether it’s getting ready for something to happen here in a starting role, or changing a role. I think it just all should be on the table.”

That leaves only one pathway for Sasaki on the team.

Can Roki Sasaki make it to the Dodgers’ post-season bullpen?

If you ask why the Bullpen, not the rotation, then the simple answer is the Dodgers’ rotation, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, Emmet Sheehan, and Shohei Ohtani, is full. This is one of the best rotations right now in baseball.

The bullpen, however, is another story, and their recent meltdowns against the Pirates and Orioles exposed just how vulnerable they are. Tanner Scott, the team’s winter acquisition, has blown nine saves this season, the most in baseball. Scott has also allowed 10 home runs for the first time in his career with a 4.47 ERA and a below league-average ERA+.

Scott isn’t alone; Blake Treinen has also struggled in high-leverage spots. Treinen entered the Orioles game when he needed just one out to save the game and allowed three earned runs in the Dodgers’ 4-3 loss on September 6th. Deep down, the situation is so alarming that they had to rely on rookies like Ben Casparius, Jack Dreyer, and Justin Wrobleski.

This leaves the bullpen as Sasaki’s only path to the October roster. But still, all this excitement is just speculation. For a player who has only started in his entire professional career—69 starts in Japan and 13 combined starts for the Dodgers and their Triple-A team—this is a huge change. And looking at his command issues in the majors, with 22 walks against only 24 strikeouts, the question remains: Can this young fireballer truly become the secret weapon Dave Roberts needs to win it all?