SP Roundup: Tokyo Series

The dust has settled on the Tokyo Series, where the defending World Series champions, the LA Dodgers, swept the Chicago Cubs. In this SP Roundup, we take a quick look at each starting pitcher’s performance.

Roki Sasaki, Dodgers 3 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 5 BB, 3 K, 56 pitches

The 23-year-old Japanese phenom made his Major League debut in Game 2 of the Tokyo Series. We learned that while he has nasty stuff, he is not yet a finished product. The Dodgers were already aware of this, so there were no surprises.

Sasaki lasted only three innings and struggled with his control, which included some wild pitches. Nerves likely played a role in his performance as well. Clearly, he will need to improve his control to be successful in his first season, and I expect that will develop over time. Despite his struggles, Sasaki’s talent was evident, and if he can refine his control, he will pose a significant challenge to any major league lineup. I was particularly impressed with his ability to escape a bases-loaded jam in the third inning, where he managed to record two strikeouts to end the inning. That was a clutch performance at a crucial moment early in the game.

Strikezone rating: 56

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dodgers 5 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, BB, 4 K, 72 pitches

The Dodgers ace looked solid as he threw five strong innings in the season opener in Tokyo to help secure the Dodgers’ first win. His hard splitter which sat around 92 mph was particularly effective on the night with a 47% whiff rate. That is an outstanding pitch! Yamamoto will be pleased with this dominant start to the season as he struggled in his MLB debut last season when he only lasted one inning. He could be even better than he was last season and that is an ominous prospect for MLB hitters.

Strikezone rating: 73

Shota Imanaga, Cubs 4 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 4 BB, 2 K, 69 pitches

The 31-year-old left-handed pitcher delivered an impressive performance, pitching four hitless innings against a formidable Dodgers lineup. However, he uncharacteristically issued four walks during the game. It’s worth noting that he was throwing approximately 2 mph faster than last season, which may have contributed to his lack of control. On the bright side, his splitter was particularly effective, boasting a 41% whiff rate.

Strikezone rating: 68

Justin Steele, Cubs 4 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, BB, 5 K, 2 HR, 67 pitches

Steele had a day he would prefer to forget, but he did log his 500th career strikeout, which is a significant achievement. I thought his fastball looked decent early on, although it was about 1 mph slower than last season. There’s no cause for concern at this point, as it’s still early in the season, and he faced a strong Dodgers lineup that hit two home runs off him.

Strikezone rating: 40