Roki Sasaki 2026 — Today's Stats & Game Log

Sasaki delivers 5 IP, 2 ER on 75% fastball strikes but splitter whiffs vanish

Roki Sasaki turned in 5.0 innings of 4-hit, 2-earned-run baseball at Milwaukee on May 24, striking out four and walking two for a 3.60 game ERA. That stands well below his season marks of a 4.93 ERA and 1.42 WHIP, suggesting a meaningful uptick in execution relative to his nine-start baseline. Looking at his last ten outings, this performance ranks second only to his 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 8 K masterpiece against the Angels on May 18, and it cleanly avoids the blowups we saw in early April at Washington (6 ER) and Colorado (3 ER over 4.2 IP).

The pitch mix tells the story of why the contact was manageable but the strikeouts thin. Sasaki leaned on his four-seam fastball for 40 pitches (46%) at an average of 97.1 mph with a 75% strike rate, generating six whiffs and clearly setting the tone in counts. The concern is the splitter, traditionally his out pitch, which logged a 63% strike rate across 24 pitches but produced zero swings and misses. That single data point explains the modest four-strikeout total despite his velocity profile. The slider was similarly inconsistent at a 45% strike rate, contributing only two whiffs.

The platoon split also remains a structural issue worth flagging. Sasaki is allowing a .284 average and .840 OPS to left-handed hitters this season versus .234 and .803 to righties, and Milwaukee deployed a lineup tilted left-handed. Several of the four hits likely came from that side of the plate, which keeps the broader split concern alive. With five home runs already surrendered to lefties on the year, restoring the splitter's vertical separation is the clearest lever for Sasaki's next start. The fastball command was a genuine positive tonight, but a 0-whiff splitter outing is not a repeatable formula against contending offenses.