When the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Roki Sasaki, they expected him to dominate as he did in Japan.
However, Sasaki had a 4.46 ERA last season and made just eight starts. He thrived out of the bullpen and was a big piece of the Dodgers' World Series run. This season, he has made 19 starts and has a 4.64 ERA, but he has been much better as of late.
After allowing six earned runs in three innings against the San Diego Padres, Dave Roberts said the Dodgers were going to do a dive on Sasaki. The team felt like Sasaki was tipping pitches, and he looked better in his next start. However, the real change came after the All-Star Break.
After the All-Star Break, Sasaki debuted a new, bigger glove. The purpose was to better hide his grips and keep hitters from knowing what's coming. Sasaki downplayed the size of the glove, but it was big enough to be noticed easily and was even called out by the broadcast in its debut game.
Since the glove change, Sasaki has made three starts. He has a 1.50 ERA and 21 strikeouts. In his first start out of the All-Star Break, he threw 21 fastballs over 100 mph, which was more than all of his other starts to that point combined. His velocity has come back down to earth in his last two starts, but he is proving to be much more effective.
The Dodgers have won all three of his last starts. He went seven innings against the New York Mets with nine strikeouts. He has not allowed more than two earned runs in any of his last three starts.