Roki Sasaki played his first MLB game against the Detroit Tigers at Dodger Stadium. Surprisingly, his debut was a disaster. The Japanese star was one of the most sought-after pitchers this offseason. Multiple teams were behind the pitcher, but he picked the Dodgers.
Dodgers fans were happy to have one of the best international pitchers on their team. However, Sasaki’s start has drawn criticism from several fans. The pitcher had a disastrous outing after surrendering two earned runs in only 1.2 innings. He gave up three hits, walked four, and recorded two strikeouts.
To make matters worse, Roki Sasaki threw 61 pitches in only 1.2 innings, forcing Dave Roberts to take him off the mound. Here’s a look at some fan reactions to X.
“Doesn’t deserve to be in the MLB. Dude is so scared to throw strikes. He’ll be sent down I 2 weeks,” one fan wrote.
Doesn’t deserve to be in the MLB. Dude is so scared to throw strikes. He’ll be sent down I 2 weeks
— Philly Sports Truther (@PSportsTruther) March 30, 2025
“F***** dweeb lol at least he can speak Japanese in the dugout tho,” another fan wrote.
Fuckin dweeb lol at least he can speak japanese in the dugout tho
— Balls (@BallsDeepInYm3) March 30, 2025
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“F****** scared of throwing strikes lmao,” another fan chimed in.
Fucking scared of throwing strikes lmao
— annoying ohtani fan (@owndodgerhaters) March 30, 2025
“That’s a lot of money to pay a AAA pitcher,” wrote one fan.
That’s a lot of money to pay a AAA pitcher
— Mike (@mikeysmalls137) March 30, 2025
“Welcome to the Big League, Rook,” one fan responded.
Welcome to the Big League, Rook
— Buck Naked (@PistolPete2007) March 30, 2025
This is not Japan 😂
— Erick Gonzalez (@ErickGzz17) March 30, 2025
This is the front runner for ROY?
— Ryan Braun (@XRaiden_FS) March 30, 2025
“He payed a little homage to Nestor Cortez,” one fan said.
He payed a little homage to Nestor Cortez
— Turd Ferguson (@eduardobz) March 30, 2025
Roki Sasaki Hopes To Rebound After Struggling Start
The same happened to Yoshinobu Yamamoto when he recorded his first start in Dodger Blue. Yamamoto struggled and was forced to be removed from the mound. It’s pretty normal, especially for Japanese pitchers, since they find several differences.
The size of the baseball is different in Japan and the big leagues. Moreover, Roki Sasaki could have been under a lot of pressure, considering that he’s been pitching from Dodger Stadium. Dodgers fans might have expected a lot for the pitcher, but he has an entire season ahead to prove his worth.
Meanwhile, a Casino in Las Vegas was fined for illegal bets linked to Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter.
