Roki Sasaki has an arm that was gifted to him from the heavens. That was never in question.
Whether Sasaki becomes the best pitcher in baseball, or even just a mainstay in the Dodgers rotation, will depend on a less tangible quality.
Two starts into his major league career, the 23-year-old Sasaki is in a position that is entirely unfamiliar to him.
He’s failing.
The golden boy of Japanese baseball is suddenly just another prospect, looking overwhelmed, as if he might not belong on the mound, as if he might not ever belong.