Sometimes, when everything is on the line, even the slightest advantage can be enough to make the difference. That’s what we may see here as the Los Angeles Dodgers prepare to face off against the Toronto Blue Jays, one of the finalists they beat out in the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes.
Things might not have gone to plan for the Dodgers and Sasaki this season, but with three saves and a 1.13 ERA so far this postseason, Sasaki, the closer, has more than redeemed himself for all the regular-season angst.
Aside from just his performance on the mound, which has brought a much-needed level of stability to a bullpen in turmoil, Sasaki can help the Dodgers succeed in the face off against their Canadian foes in a unique way, and it all goes back to last offseason and the pursuit of the 23-year-old phenom.
Overlooked Roki Sasaki wrinkle could tip scales in Dodgers-Blue Jays World Series
It may seem hard to remember now, but every team in the running for Sasaki’s services last winter was pulling out all the stops. Extensive research had been done. Through his agent, Joel Wolfe, Sasaki’s preferences and ideal characteristics in a potential landing spot were made known, like something a high-end matchmaking service in Beverley Hills would provide.
As Sasaki listened to pitches from his suitors, one thing they needed to present to him in order to woo him was their plan to develop their pitchers. That’s exactly what the Blue Jays did during their meeting with the right-hander last January.
Because of that, Sasaki knows better than most what the Blue Jays’ pitching philosophy is. He could conceivably have an idea of how they like to call games, what pitch mixes they emphasize, and what their bread-and-butter strategy is when a pitcher gets into a jam. With a deeper understanding, he might be able to fill in the gaps from what the film inevitably tells the Dodgers’ hitters as they prepare for the matchup.
It might be a tiny thing, but having an understanding of what the organizational philosophy is once a pitcher has two strikes, or how they prefer to call games early on, among other little details like that can give Los Angeles a slight leg up and a fuller picture of what to expect.
This minor edge could help offset the extra motivation the Blue Jays will have to down the Dodgers. And this comes after the Dodgers not only spoiled their dreams of having Roki Sasaki anchor their rotation, but also the heartbreak they endured after seeing Los Angeles swoop in and steal Shohei Ohtani from their clutches a year prior.
When it comes to the World Series, no advantage is too big or too small, and in Roki Sasaki, the Dodgers might have a secret weapon in more ways than one.
