MLB Top Prospect Performance Reviews: Roki Sasaki, Jackson Jobe, and Chase Dollander

Prospects are the future of baseball, and many have been making a name for themselves this season.

Three pitchers in particular — Roki Sasaki, Jackson Jobe, and Chase Dollander — were among the biggest hype generators throughout spring camp.

Let's explore how they've been performing and what type of impact they've provided to their respective teams early this season.

How top prospects Roki Sasaki, Jackson Jobe, and Chase Dollander are performing in MLB

SP Roki Sasaki, Los Angeles Dodgers

The highly-anticipated Roki Sasaki was the offseason darling that several suitors were targeting. But, considering how the Los Angeles Dodgers have a solid reputation with acquiring Japanese stars, it wasn't surprising that his ultimate destination was with the Dodgers.

The 22-year-old right-handed starting pitcher has sported a 3.29 ERA this season with 12 strikeouts across 13.2 innings pitched. The Japanese star made his MLB debut on March 19th in the Tokyo Series in Japan against the Chicago Cubs, surrendering one run across three innings of work.

In addition, he's authoring a meager 18.8 % strikeout rate, with a very concerning walk rate of 20.3%. His 13 walks thus far lead all of Major League Baseball. His performance thus far has been a rollercoaster, to say the least.

He has illustrated inconsistencies on the mound with his command and control across two starts. This, unfortunately, has led to a high volume of unwanted walks.

His debut against the Detroit Tigers at Dodger Stadium didn't pan out. After throwing 61 pitches, he was taken out of the second inning, where only 32 of the pitches thrown were strikes. But, on a positive note, aside from his solid velocity, he's also showcased an impressive splitter.

His nasty splitter was on display in his fourth start of the season, though Sasaki did pick up his first loss against the Cubs while surrendering a run, four hits and two walks.

All in all, Sasaki has a lot of room to improve and grow considering this is his first season ever playing in MLB. Following his struggles, manager Dave Roberts responded to Sasaki's critics, complimenting the pitcher's competitive drive but prioritizing that his command issues need to be worked on.

“He wants to impress,” Roberts said. “He wants to pitch well. He’s going up there competing. And right now it’s just not syncing up. So we’re going to keep working on it. But from the outset, I’ve always said we believe that this is a process.”

SP Jackson Jobe, Detroit Tigers

Tigers 22-year-old right-hander Jackson Jobe shares a similar weapon with Sasaki in that they are both flamethrowers. This season, he has recorded a 3.00 ERA across fifteen innings pitched, with nine strikeouts across three starts.

The No. 4 overall prospect has improved his ERA recently, which was at 5.00 before he picked up his first MLB win of the season against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday. He recorded six scoreless innings and spoiled the Twins' chances of getting out of their early-season funk, shutting down their offense.

Looking back to his first start this season, he gave up three runs on three hits across four innings with four strikeouts. In his second start, he surrendered three runs on four hits with three walks and four strikeouts across five innings.

While those numbers don't jump off the page, he's already shown an ability to rebound. He'll be fine over the course of a 162-game season.

He's also demonstrated intriguing upside with a fastball velocity that reaches 99 mph; once he's allowed to start pitching deeper into games, Jobe should become one of the top starters in baseball.

Overall, manager A.J. Hinch felt he the right has handled himself well thus far: “He was able to control damage, which is encouraging. He was spotted a big lead, so [all] we want him to do is pound the strike zone."

SP Chase Dollander, Colorado Rockies

Rockies 23-year-old Chase Dollander picked up his first win in his MLB debut against the Athletics on April 6th. While his 7.20 ERA was hurt by giving up two home runs, he still provided an impact and a promising impression.

His fastball topped out at 99.3 mph, and he successfully got out of a bases-loaded situation in the fourth inning by recording two consecutive strikeouts.

This demonstrates how he has the tools to be a high-leverage starter. His ability to pitch through jams demonstrates how he can handle high-pressure situations.

In his second MLB start, Dollander was impressive, recording seven punchouts while limiting the San Diego Padres offense to only three hits. While Dollander lowered his ERA to 5.06 the Rockies couldn't provide him with any run support and the 23rd-ranked prospect picked up his first loss.

Nevertheless, his upside has been apparent in his first two appearances, and there's plenty of reason to believe he can live up to the hype as the future ace of the Rockies.

More MLB Prospect Analysis: