Roki Sasaki’s turnaround has been Dodgers biggest surprise in 2026 initially appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are as soon as once more sitting atop the NL West, and the frontrunners for the 2026 World Series title. Shohei Ohtani is pretty much as good as ever, and there is a lot to love about this group proper now.
Advertisement
Andy Pages‘ ascension into the most effective outfielders in baseball, whereas Kyle Tucker struggles, has been one of many biggest surprises of the 2026 season for the Dodgers. But, there is a completely different scenario that stands out as a much bigger surprise.
What Roki Sasaki has performed this season, from his horrible begin to the 12 months to his turnaround in his current outings, has, as MLB.com’s Sonja Chen notes, been the biggest surprise for the Dodgers this season.
Roki Sasaki’s sudden turnaround is biggest surprise for Dodgers
“While the Dodgers had hoped to see the version of Sasaki they have unlocked over the past month and a half – 3.86 ERA in his past seven starts – it came as somewhat of a surprise that he has gone from finding his footing to performing at the big league level so quickly,” Chen writes.
Advertisement
Last season, Sasaki posted a 4.46 ERA in 10 outings and eight begins, which was a giant disappointment contemplating the hype. But, as a reliever, he posted a 0.84 ERA in 9 outings with three saves for the Dodgers throughout the World Series run.
However, the Dodgers wanted him to change into a beginning pitcher, which he returned to this season. In his first 5 begins of the season, he went 22.2 innings, permitting 16 runs for a brutal 6.35 ERA.
MORE: Tarik Skubal being traded by Tigers would help him in free agency
There had been main questions on whether or not he might thrive on the MLB degree as a beginning pitcher. But, in his final seven outings, he has a 3.86 ERA, and never together with his seven-run blowup outing on June 12, Sasaki had a 2.55 ERA in six begins from May 2 to June 5.
Advertisement
Sasaki went from being one of many extra worrying pitchers in MLB to having a really promising turnaround. Doing this all in one season has been what makes him the biggest surprise for the Dodgers throughout the 2026 season.
This season has been a giant one for Sasaki, as he has seen his turnaround right into a legit MLB-caliber beginning pitcher. Even although a 3.86 ERA in his final seven begins is not something particular, it’s nonetheless an enormous consequence for the 24-year-old Dodgers pitcher.