Part 3/8:
Sasaki is lauded for his exceptional pitching arsenal, notably his splitter, rated an impressive 80 on the 2080 scale by mlb.com. This pitch has produced a remarkable 57% whiff rate in 2024, positioning it just behind the Yankees' Fernando Cruz in effectiveness. However, some concerns linger about Sasaki's transition to Major League Baseball. His fastball velocity has dipped from an average of nearly 99 mph to around 96 mph, which raises questions about endurance and adaptation to the larger MLB ball.