LOS ANGELES — Perhaps Roki Sasaki had to see what all the fuss was about.
Now Sasaki knows firsthand — almost — just how tough of an at-bat his countrymate can be.
Sasaki posted a few videos of himself taking a simulated at-bat against Yamamoto in the Dodger Stadium batting cages on his Instagram story on Monday. To his credit, Sasaki made some contact, fouling off strike two before swinging through strike three.
“Yoshi is nasty,” Sasaki captioned the video of his whiff.
Sasaki — who celebrated his 24th birthday alongside the Dodgers’ back-to-back championships with a parade through the streets of downtown Los Angeles and a sold-out event at Dodger Stadium — made the jump to the Majors this season with the goal of becoming one of the greatest pitchers in baseball.
After weathering some growing pains early — and some physical pain, a right shoulder injury — Sasaki returned in September and pitched far closer to his electric full potential throughout the Dodgers’ championship run. Yamamoto went through a similar experience in 2024, his first Major League season, when he truly excelled in the postseason and carried that momentum into ’25.
There’s a lot that Sasaki could learn from Yamamoto, but he took it a step further on Monday. After all, what better way to understand what it takes to be the best of the best than to step in against them?
Discover more from 6up.net
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.