Roki Sasaki makes drastic change to signature pitch in bid to stay in Dodgers’ rotation
Roki Sasaki has revamped his signature forkball by adopting a new splitter grip in an effort to improve performance and secure his spot in the Dodgers' starting rotation. The change, suggested by coaching staff, has increased the pitch's velocity and late movement despite reducing its overall break. After struggling with consistency and command, Sasaki is relying on the adjusted pitch during a critical stretch of the season.
- ▪Roki Sasaki altered his forkball grip to a more traditional splitter grip to improve velocity and effectiveness.
- ▪The change was made after discussions with Dodgers pitching coaches during a road trip in late April.
- ▪Sasaki's ERA was over 6.00 before the adjustment, prompting the need for a significant change.
- ▪The new grip reduces the pitch's break but adds speed and late movement, making it harder for batters to detect.
- ▪He used the updated pitch heavily in a start against the Cubs, showing improved strike-throwing despite allowing three home runs.
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MLB Roki Sasaki makes drastic change to signature pitch in bid to stay in Dodgers’ rotation By Jack Harris Published May 2, 2026, 8:00 a.m. ET ST. LOUIS — Ahead of the most pivotal stretch of his career as an MLB starter, Roki Sasaki had the idea to completely alter his signature pitch. During the Dodgers’ last road trip in late April, Sasaki navigated a 4 ⅔-inning, three-run outing against the Rockies at Coors Field. Like most of his starts this year, the results were underwhelming. Under the hood, however, he felt like he was finally making progress. Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki had better results in his last game against the Cubs. He will look to continue that Saturday against the host Cardinals.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at New York Post.
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