"It's really crazy." Sasaki summoned 'U.S.-Japan 201 wins legend' in his third bullpen pitching... "Dirty Splitter" is full of praises

"It's really crazy." Sasaki summoned 'U.S.-Japan 201 wins legend' in his third bullpen pitching... "Dirty Splitter" is full of praises

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Loki Sasaki (24, LA Dodgers), who is playing a spring camp schedule in Glendale, Arizona, drew praise from manager Dave Roberts and his teammates in his third bullpen pitching.

As reported by the Dodgers Nation on Monday, Roberts said, "I was cleaner and more consistent on Monday. I would have been a bit nervous in my first game," adding, "However, I think I will feel more and more comfortable every time I take the mound. The next checkpoint is when he plays against several batters and enters a Cactus League game. However, talent still exists," giving Sasaki a passing point on pitching in the bullpen.

"He threw fastballs, splitters and curveballs. All three pitches were good. I liked his fastball command," catcher Hunter Pedusia, who worked with Sasaki on the day, said. "I'm sure he's trying to get a certain feeling and honing everything based on his first bullpen pitching. It looked good to me."

Local attention is paid to each of Sasaki's spring camp training. On the 12th, more than 60 team managers and reporters gathered at Sasaki's warm-up catch, which lasted for about 20 minutes.

Austin Barnes, who received Sasaki's ball during his first bullpen session on the 13th, exclaimed, "Oh my gosh," and praised him, "His fastball pitching is amazing. His splitter is a ball that I've never seen before. It's hard to catch."

Will Smith, who received Sasaki's second bullpen session on Tuesday, also praised him, saying, "This is my first time receiving a ball. I liked his fastball and splitter, and he threw sliders. He didn't look nervous. In particular, the splitter will be a very good pitching model."
Not only that. Fellow pitcher Kirby Yates, who watched Sasaki's third bullpen session on Wednesday, said in an interview with "Dodgers Nation," "It's dirty. His splitter reminds me of Hideo Nomo's splitter."

Nomo is a legend of Japanese baseball, with 201 wins (78 wins in Japan, 123 wins in the U.S.) Since joining the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1995, Nomo has won the National League Rookie of the Year award with 13 wins, 6 losses and an earned run average of 2.54 since his first year in the Major League, and has achieved remarkable achievements by achieving the fourth no-hitter in MLB history and the first 100 wins as an Asian player.

Sasaki, who is gradually adapting to the big league environment, is scheduled to take the mound in the 2025 Major League regular season opener "Tokyo Series" against the Chicago Cubs on March 18 and 19 at Tokyo Dome in Japan. While teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto is expected to be the starting pitcher for Game 1, it has not been decided whether Sasaki will start or not.

"I think it's right for Sasaki to take the mound in his second game of this season," Roberts said. "However, even if it doesn't happen, it can't be helped. The first thing to do is to make sure that Sasaki is in a good position and feels comfortable when pitching. I don't want to consider taking the mound right now."

On the other hand, Sasaki said in an interview with USA Today on the 13th, "The opportunity to open the 메이저사이트 MLB season in Japan is certainly rare," adding, "So it's all the more special to be able to play the opening game as a rookie. That's why I'm only focusing on that preparation now," expressing his strong enthusiasm for starting the Tokyo series.