Teams thought they were scouting Roki Sasaki, only to realize he might have been scouting them instead. The 23-year-old Japanese pitching sensation got several elite teams lined up to sign him. But in the end, Sasaki chose the Los Angeles Dodgers. Known for his devastating splitter and pinpoint control, Sasaki was one of the most sought-after international free agents. But in the midst of all of that, something unexpected has happened behind closed doors. And it has made many MLB teams furious who were in the race to sign him. So, what really happened?

The controversy came to light in a recent episode of the Baseball Tonight podcast. ESPN’s Paul Hembekides revealed the behind-the-scenes drama while discussing Sasaki’s early struggles with control in the MLB, prompting a “panic or patience” debate.

He revealed why the teams were annoyed with Sasaki: “During the times he met with the teams, he basically asked every team going into the meeting, ‘Hey, tell me what you think is wrong with my fastball last year? Use your analytics’.” No teammates quite expected this question from a free agent. According to Hembekides, it was a pure strategy. It came out like Sasaki and his camp were gathering the data. And of course, the data was backed by proprietary insights and developed metrics.

Hembekides elaborated further: “Pi–ed off a lot of teams, and all these teams were asked by Sasaki’s camp, ‘Tell us what you think he’s doing wrong with his fastball.’ And they did. Then all that insight went straight to Sasaki, and ultimately to the Dodgers.”

Given how fiercely guarded pitching analytics are in MLB front offices, the revelation sparked outrage. These insights represent years of in-house research and competitive strategy, and many teams felt blindsided when they realized they may have unknowingly contributed to Sasaki’s development… for another team.

It wasn’t long ago when he landed in MLB as a right-handed pitcher. Now, Sasaki is already making headlines as one of the most-talked-about debuts in years. And let’s not forget it’s just the beginning. With all the teams infuriated about him passing the confidential data, Sasaki has brought more than just the heat.

Eric Hosmer isn’t sold on Sasaki’s grip against the Detroit Tigers

Roki Sasaki made his second MLB start against the Detroit Tigers on March 29th, 2025. Despite the Dodgers winning by 7-3, the scoreboard didn’t make the headlines the way Sasaki did. Though it was inevitable that everybody would be keeping a close eye on Sasaki, Eric Hosmer had an unbelievable take on him.

The former World Series champion and four-time Gold Glove winner took to X (formerly Twitter) and shared his take on Sasaki’s grip. He explicitly tweeted, “Hand is obviously sticky! It seems like Roki is having a tough time blending his tang to get the right grip on these MLB ⚾️s. Somebody give him a hug!” Hosmer cast a doubt on the legitimacy of Sasaki’s grip.

With his usage of the phrase “blend his tang,” he is humorously attacking the pitcher’s adjustment to MLB baseballs. As soon as he made this accusation, it immediately gained traction, obviously not in the ways he might have expected. It drew a fiery backlash, and all the X users got furious at him and stood up for Sasaki. It’s fair to mention that Hosmer’s comment has created chaos for him and fueled the entire situation. Not about Sasaki, but about how his claim was not the sharpest tool in the shed.

For now, Sasaki is focused on proving himself on the mound. Let’s just say, if his talent speaks louder than these claims, the conversation will circle back to what really defines him: his game.