Amid immense pressure at MLB and a string of inconsistent performances with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Roki Sasaki has deeply moved the baseball community by admitting for the first time the loneliness he’s experiencing during the most difficult period since arriving in America.

No longer the cool, stoic “Japanese pitching monster” on the mound, Sasaki appeared downcast after a recent bullpen, where he reportedly shared his true feelings with close teammates. According to sources around the Dodgers clubhouse, the young pitcher spoke frequently about his family in Japan and the feeling of being alone in facing MLB pressure.

“I miss my family so much,” Sasaki reportedly said emotionally. “There are times like this when it’s so hard… I realize I don’t have anyone to comfort me.”

The statement quickly spread throughout the Dodgers and MLB communities, creating a strong wave of sympathy for the Japanese pitcher—who is known for being reserved and rarely sharing personal feelings with the media.

MLB Pressure is weighing heavily on Sasaki

Sasaki’s first season in MLB hasn’t gone as many had hoped. After arriving at the Dodgers with the reputation of a Japanese baseball phenomenon, he was seen as the future of rotation and even a potential ace for years to come.

But reality is much harsher.

In recent weeks, Sasaki has consistently struggled with command, increased walks, and inconsistency in long innings. His fastball still boasts elite speed, his splitter still displays familiar danger, but his game control hasn’t reached the level the Dodgers desire.

Many games have seen Sasaki completely lose his rhythm after just a few innings, rapidly increasing media pressure and fan expectations.

And for the first time, people began to see real fatigue on his face.

The Dodgers are trying to protect Sasaki from a mental breakdown.

According to internal sources, the Dodgers coaching staff understands that Sasaki’s current problems aren’t just about mechanics or pitching command. They believe that psychological factors and feelings of isolation in America are strongly affecting the young pitcher.

Unlike his time playing in Japan, Sasaki now has to adapt to:

a completely new environment
a packed MLB schedule
pressure from the American media
enormous expectations from Dodgers fans
and living away from family for the first time in a long period.

Dave Roberts is said to have had many private conversations with Sasaki to help him reduce mental pressure. Some Dodgers teammates are also trying to help the Japanese pitcher integrate better into the clubhouse.

However, those close to Sasaki say that homesickness remains a very difficult thing to overcome.

A childhood marked by loss makes emotions even heavier.

What makes Sasaki’s story particularly moving is his tragic past.

At the age of nine, Sasaki lost his father and grandparents in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. After that tragedy, his mother and siblings became his greatest support, helping him overcome a traumatic childhood to pursue baseball.

Therefore, for Sasaki, family is not simply relatives.

It is the only place where he feels at peace.

A source close to the Dodgers revealed that during his recent worst periods of performance, Sasaki frequently called Japan after games. Sometimes he just wanted to hear his mother’s or siblings’ voices to regain his composure.

Dancers fans shift from criticism to empathy.

In the past few weeks, a section of Dodgers fans began to lose patience with Sasaki’s inconsistent performance. But after his emotional sharing surfaced, the atmosphere on social media changed significantly.

Many fans admitted they forgot that Sasaki was still very young, and this was only his first season in America.

A Reddit post by Dodgers that received thousands of interactions read:

“People only see the radar gun and ERA. But behind that is a young man living far from his family, carrying a childhood full of loss.”

Many fans also began calling for more patience with the Japanese pitcher, believing that the current problem wasn’t a lack of talent — but a mental battle to adapt to the harshest environment in baseball.

The Dodgers still believe Sasaki will overcome this.

Despite his inconsistent performance, the Dodgers still see Sasaki as an extremely important part of the team’s future. The coaching staff believes that once he overcomes this adjustment period, both professionally and mentally, he still has the potential to become one of the most dangerous pitchers in MLB.

And perhaps, what Sasaki needs most right now isn’t criticism about mechanics or velocity.

But time.

Behind the image of a Japanese pitching phenomenon watched by the whole world, there remains a young man learning to live with pressure, loneliness, and the thousands of miles separating him from his family — on the most difficult journey of his life.