Dodgers' Roki Sasaki Earns Wild Comparison to All-Star Flamethrower
What do a 24-year-old from Japan and a 38-year-old from Cuba have in common?
Not much, in almost any context. Yet the two baseball-loving nations have sent many natives to Major League Baseball, including Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki and Boston Red Sox pitcher Aroldis Chapman.
Even in a baseball context, comparing the two pitchers is unusual. Chapman is left-handed and Sasaki right-handed. Chapman is a reliever, Sasaki a starter.
But in an interview with Rob "Pitching Ninja" Friedman, Dodgers vice president of pitching Rob Hill laid out the comparison between Sasaki and Chapman from a player development standpoint.
"I think there's certain elements they both carry together," Hill said. "They have such extreme limbs - like, their levers are so absurd - I think it takes a lot of momentum and movement to get them together, then figure out a way to distribute them down the mound. I wouldn't say it's a direct comp, but there's definitely elements [of similarity]."
The struggle to coordinate the mechanics of such long-limbed pitchers is reflected in their careers.
Chapman is an eight-time All-Star and on pace to make his ninth All-Star Game appearance in 2026. He is carrying an 0.83 ERA and 14 saves through his first 22 appearances of the season with the Red Sox.
Chapman also endured a stretch of three seasons in which he racked up 29 combined saves for the New York Yankees, Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers and Pittsburgh Pirates, was limited to two one-year contracts and was traded once in between.
Although Chapman might be headed to the Hall of Fame someday - he's 10th on MLB's career saves list with 381 - he will not arrive in Cooperstown on a straight path from stardom.
The Dodgers hope to be able to say the same someday about Sasaki.
He missed most of his rookie season with a shoulder injury, and was often ineffective when healthy in 2025. When he was activated from the injured list in September, he returned as a one-inning reliever.
The Dodgers were starved for bullpen help last year. Converting to a relief role made Sasaki indispensable last October, but he went back to the starting rotation in 2026.
Again, he struggled to hold down a place in the rotation. By May 16 - only a month ago - Sasaki had a 5.88 ERA and a 6.51 FIP.
Over his next four starts, Sasaki allowed only four earned runs, 13 hits and five walks in 24.1 innings. That run of dominance ended when the White Sox lit him up for seven runs in 4.1 innings June 12 in Chicago.
But if Hill's comp is any suggestion, straightening out Sasaki's performance could rest on straightening out his mechanics. The lanky 6-foot-2 pitcher is a tall task for player development personnel, but clearly Hill remains optimistic.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/dodgers/onsi as Dodgers' Roki Sasaki Earns Wild Comparison to All-Star Flamethrower.
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This story was originally published June 19, 2026 at 5:01 PM.