The Los Angeles Dodgers won their eighth title in 2024, and their offseason appears to indicate they are on track for a ninth in 2025.
While the Dodgers’ pitching staff was already elite, they acquired three pitchers to further improve.
They added starting pitcher Blake Snell from the San Francisco Giants, relief pitcher Tanner Scott from the San Diego Padres and starting pitcher Rocky Sasaki from the Japanese.
Sasaki joins Shohei Otani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto as the third Japanese pitcher for the Dodgers.
MLB insider Dylan Hernandez recently compared Sasaki and Ohtani to a legendary NBA duo.
“He’s going to be like the Michael Jordan of Scottie Pippen,” Hernandez said, via Foul Territory .
Shohei Ohtani and Rocky Sasaki are going to reach incredible heights together. pic.twitter.com/LrQPHvLkdh
— FoulTerritory (@FoulTerritoryTV) January 21, 2025
Jordan is considered the greatest basketball player ever and Pippen was his best teammate during the Chicago Bulls dynasty.
Ohtani is beginning to see the same attention in the baseball world as his dominance on the field has finally led to a championship.
Sasaki is 23 years old and has never pitched in the MLB, but is expected to be great.
In 2024, Sasaki appeared in 18 games and went 10-5 with a 2.35 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 111.0 innings.
If Sasaki lives up to the hype, the Dodgers’ rotation could be intact as they try to defend their title.
