Roki Sasaki is one of the best young starting pitchers on the planet.
He’s also the Los Angeles Dodgers’ closer in the World Series.
In a bygone era of baseball, those sentences would be oxymoronic. Not now, though.
Playoff baseball is a different beast. Teams search for solutions that they would never even consider in the regular season.
Starting pitchers come out of the bullpen with at least some regularity.
Sasaki’s role is a bit different, though. He has taken over as the full-time closer. If the Dodgers get to a save situation, it’ll almost certainly be Sasaki coming in to close it out.
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Why is Roki Sasaki the Dodgers’ closer?
The Dodgers’ bullpen simply wasn’t good this year. They needed a better answer at the end of games.
Sasaki has been that answer for manager Dave Roberts in the postseason.
He has thrown eight postseason innings, allowed just one run and recorded three saves entering the World Series.
Sasaki had a 4.72 ERA through eight starts this season before going on the Injured List, and in his long recovery, the Dodgers began to consider doing things differently.
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An inability to nail down a dominant closer throughout the season, and to not get one at the trade deadline, left the role there for the taking.
“I mean, he’s a freaky arm talent,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told MLB.com. “He is so talented, so for him to do this isn’t shocking at all.”
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