The hype surrounding Roki Sasaki‘s arrival in Los Angeles was immense. But how his career has progressed since coming into the MLB has been very different from what the expectations were. His performance against the Texas Rangers perfectly encapsulated a season that has so far failed to live up to the massive expectations.

When a starting pitcher only gives up two runs, it usually gives his team a great chance to win. However, for Sasaki and the Dodgers, those two runs don’t tell the full story in the 5-2 loss against the Texas Rangers. Sasaki consistently pitched out of trouble, was unable to find the strike zone, and put his team in stressful situations in the game. Even though his talent was on display, his lack of command was what set the tone for the upsetting defeat.

The Dodgers’ offense also could not get going in that game and had just 6 hits and went 1-6 with runners in scoring position. But when the game ended, the main talking point was around Roki Sasaki and his pitching.

Sasaki pitched a total of 4 innings and gave up 2 runs on 5 hits. The biggest issue, however, was his lack of control. He gave up 5 walks in 94 pitches. He allowed ten baserunners, the highest total of his young MLB career so far. But looking at him giving away just 2 runs and striking out 6 batters showed that he later found control and was able to limit the damage.

The troubles started in the first inning when the red-hot Brandon Nimmo singled and Evan Carter was walked. But Sasaki showed composure and struck out Seager, Burger, and Pederson. That sequence showed his swing-and-miss ability even while struggling with control. He escaped similar trouble in the second inning with runners in scoring position.

However, his luck ran out in the third inning. Carter hit a solo home run, and the Rangers followed it up with a two-out rally, finally breaking Sasaki’s defense.

When Sasaki exited the game after the fourth inning, the Dodgers were trailing 2-1. His early departure forced the bullpen to cover the remaining five innings, a heavy workload that also put a lot of pressure on the relievers. This gave the Rangers a huge advantage and ultimately cost the Dodgers the game.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged the positives but highlighted the inefficiency after the game. Roberts said, “The thing that stands out is the limited damage.” However, he also pointed out the “lack of efficiency” and mentioned how many of the walks could have been easily avoided.

Sasaki himself, after the game, said, “Things aren’t going well from a technical standpoint.” He also said that his focus is now to attack the zone and keep throwing strikes. But this was not the first time Sasaki had struggled with his control in 2026.

The Japanese phenom has struggled in his previous outing as well. In his 3 starts, Sasaki has walked a total of 10 batters and pitched 13 innings. He also has an ERA of 6.23, which is very high for a starting pitcher. His pitch count is also very high for the innings he has pitched, and he has thrown over 90 pitches in 2 of his starts.

The same struggles were also visible in Spring Training, where Sasaki posted an ERA of 15.58 across 8.2 innings.

In Spring Training, Roki Sasaki had walked 15 batters in 4 starts. In one outing against the Los Angeles Angels, he failed to record a single out in the 1st inning. He was then replaced by Ronan Kopp, who got the 3 outs. Sasaki came back out in the 2nd inning and was better as he closed the inning without giving a run.

But when the game was over, Sasaki had finished with four earned runs with six walks in two innings.

However, the Dodgers still show belief in him, not only because he is young, but because he has shown glimpses of what he can be for the Dodgers. During the 2025 postseason, Sasaki played a crucial role in allowing just 1 run in 10.2 innings. He also recorded three saves and finished five games during that playoff run.

During that stretch, his ERA was 0.84, and he played a key part in the Dodgers going back-to-back. Even in this rough outing, there were glimpses of why the team continues backing him. He generated 15 swings and misses, showing his ability to fool hitters regularly. Those flashes, mixed with past success, explain why the Dodgers remain patient with Roki Sasaki.

Do the Dodgers really have an over-the-top payroll, or is it justified?

The Los Angeles Dodgers have had one of the biggest payrolls in baseball in recent years. In 2026, their payroll reached $413,517,413, the highest in the league. They also led in 2025 with $417,341,608 and still won the World Series.

However, despite spending more money, their regular-season win totals have actually dropped slightly. They won 98 games in 2024 and 93 games in 2025. Compared to a few years ago, they won 111 games in 2022, one of the best regular-season records in recent times. In 2021, they won 106 games, and both were with lower payrolls than they have today. This shows that a higher payroll has not always led to better regular-season results.

This becomes more interesting when we look at games against the Texas Rangers.

The Rangers have a 2026 payroll of $202,659,041, which is almost half of the Dodgers’ payroll. Still, the Dodgers have not fully dominated them in recent seasons. Since 2020, the Dodgers have won five out of six series against Texas. Almost all of the games were close and tightly fought.

The batting numbers also show how close these teams really are. The Rangers average 9.5 hits per game, while the Dodgers average 8 hits. Texas also hits 1.75 doubles per game, compared to the Dodgers’ 1.

The Dodgers do lead in power with a slugging percentage of 0.500 compared to 0.430. These numbers show that the gap between the teams is not as big as fans expected.

Even with these close numbers, the Dodgers still stand out when it matters most.

They won back-to-back World Series titles in 2024 and 2025, with their 2025 championship victory coming in a thrilling seven-game series. When games get tight, they manage pressure better than most teams. This is where they separate themselves from others.

In the end, the Dodgers look like a team built for big moments. Their regular-season wins dropped from 111 and 106 to 98 and 93. The Rangers show that lower payroll teams can still compete closely. But in the postseason, the Dodgers turn their spending into results. That is why they remain one of the strongest teams in baseball right now.