Will Roki Sasaki Play in 2026 World Baseball Classic? Latest Rumors on Dodgers RHP

Three years after his international breakout in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Roki Sasaki is expected to play for Japan as it looks to defend its championship.

Per MLB insider Francys Romero, Sasaki is on Japan's preliminary roster for the WBC and is "expected to have no issues" making the final squad.

Sasaki allowed four runs (three earned) with 11 strikeouts in 7.2 innings over two starts during the 2023 tournament. His average fastball velocity was 100.5 mph in a start against Mexico in the semifinal.

After Sasaki signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as an international free agent in January 2025, MLB.com's Jim Callis noted league executives compared his skill set favorably to Shohei Ohtani as a pitcher and Stephen Strasburg.

Sasaki wound up having an up-and-down rookie season with the Dodgers. He struggled as a starter for the first two months, spent four months on the injured list and returned to the big leagues in September as a reliever.

The move to the bullpen allowed Sasaki's stuff to play up and solved some of the Dodgers' late-game issues heading into the playoffs. He allowed just one run over 10.2 innings in nine postseason appearances to help Los Angeles win the World Series.

Despite Sasaki's success out of the 'pen, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told reporters in November they still view him as a "really good" starting pitcher and plan to use him in the rotation in 2026.

Japan will enter the WBC in Pool C with Australia, South Korea, Czechia and Chinese Taipei. Its first game will be against Chinese Taipei on March 6 at the Tokyo Dome.