The Los Angeles Dodgers have commanded the international free agency market over the past couple years, and their aggressive nature in the offseason brought us the No. 9 highlight of the season: Signing Roki Sasaki.
Sasaki was the biggest name in international free agency ahead of the 2025 season, and for good reason. He had been one of the best pitchers in NPB for several seasons, and had been fantastic during the 2023 WBC. The Dodgers signed the young right-hander Jan. 22.
He made his debut for the Dodgers against the Chicago Cubs in the Tokyo Series and had a puzzling first outing, allowing just one hit and one run, but walking five batters through three innings. His struggles persisted through his next seven starts, and he ultimately sat at a 4.72 ERA through his first eight MLB appearances.
Sasaki then landed on the injured list with a right shoulder impingement, and missed significant time, ultimately transferring to the 60-day injured list in June. During his rehab assignment, the right-hander lost velocity and struggled in Triple-A, leaving his future as a starter in doubt.
We’re coming up on the 1-year anniversary of Roki Sasaki choosing to sign with the Dodgers over the Blue Jays and Padres.
Roki already proved he’s capable of thriving on the biggest stage this postseason and his potential is through the roof.
HIM JOINING LA IS NUMBER 9 ON THE… pic.twitter.com/GT3JjrdXRC
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) December 22, 2025
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He didn’t quit, though, working through his mechanics with the Dodgers and taking on a new role as a relief pitcher in an attempt to make the postseason roster. Sasaki made his return to MLB Sept. 24, and instantly made an impact on the Dodgers.
The 24-year-old made a statement in his first game back, striking out two batters and keeping a perfect inning in a low-leverage situation against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Most importantly, though, his velocity came back.
He posted another scoreless inning against the Seattle Mariners two days later, also striking out two batters in the process.
Sasaki earned a spot on the Dodgers’ Wild Card roster, and made one appearance through the first round of LA’s postseason campaign. He struck out two batters once again and kept the Cincinnati Reds scoreless to shut the door on the series.
The Dodgers gave Sasaki a much larger role in the NLDS, where he became the Dodgers’ most reliable reliever and endeared himself to Dodger fans.
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Sasaki recorded his first two MLB saves in dominant performances against the Phillies on the road, but his third outing of the series blew the first two out of the water. He threw three perfect innings in Game 4, making his way through Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper in his first inning, to help their Dodgers on their way to a dramatic win to send them to the NLCS.
He allowed just one run through 10.2 innings of postseason baseball, and played a huge role in the Dodgers’ run to the World Series. For that reason, he ranks ninth on the list.
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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