Roki Sasaki's struggles explained

 

日本語の音声を再生する

Roki Sasaki’s first start in the regular season was a disaster. He was ridiculed for crying and even accused of cheating by a former MLB player because he thought there was something sticky on Roki’s hands; however, the umpires check players’ hands before leaving the mound, making the accusation very questionable.

From my perspective, what appears to make Roki Sasaki's hands sticky is his constant reach for the rosin bag. As he sweated profusely, rosin got stickier and stickier. This effect is a well-known phenomenon in baseball. Mixing sweat and rosin will make your hands sticky, which explains why he was trying to avoid touching his skin.

Roki Sasaki came from the NPB, and they use a somewhat different ball. NPB balls are tackier and a hair smaller. An untrained eye may find it difficult to distinguish one from the other, but upon handling them, you will notice a distinct difference in feel. A slight deviation from a pitcher’s feel will alter the direction of where the ball ultimately lands by mere centimeters. This slight deviation could potentially determine whether a strike occurs or not. Not being familiar with a slightly different feel can make a pitch inconsistent and make him struggle to throw strikes. 

Some may question this assessment since he must have held MLB balls before in the World Baseball Classic and during spring training. I say it’s not the same as using it daily in your career. If you have only used Rawlings baseballs since college, you have grown accustomed to them. You would have an advantage over somebody who used something different throughout his career. The grip factor plays a crucial role. A slight deviation can change your mechanics. It is not always the case, though. Some adjust almost immediately, like Tomoyuki Sugano, the Orioles’ ace, also from Japan. Shota Imanaga didn’t struggle at all, compiling the best start in a pitcher’s career in history. It was indeed special. 

Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s early struggle may have to do with the different balls the MLB and NPB use. We all know how wonderful Yamamoto turned out to be. There are signs that Roki may be getting comfortable with MLB balls, as he showed much improvement in his recent outing, lasting four innings. He could have pitched more innings, but it seems that Dave Roberts is determined to keep his pitch count low to allow him to grow.

Roki Sasaki has a tremendous talent, but it is raw. Sasaki's talent is not as polished and MLB-ready as Yamamoto's was. Yamamoto was already unquestionably an accomplished ace before he transitioned to the MLB. Roki has potential but needs development. He needs guidance and care. He made the right choice by choosing the Dodgers, as plenty of outstanding pitchers can help him with his journey.