Let’s get something straight right out of the gate: Masaki Saito’s season hasn’t exactly been a masterpiece. Through 14 starts, his ERA sits at a bloated 4.31, and he’s served up more long balls (21) than you’d like to see from your supposed ace. There’ve been clunkers—just ask anyone who watched him get tagged for seven runs in five innings against the Twins on May 24. That wasn’t pitching. That was surviving.
But in baseball, timing is everything. And right now, Saito’s timing couldn’t be better.
On June 3rd, in Wrigley of all places, Saito spun a gem—nine innings, four hits, no runs. Five strikeouts, three walks. Businesslike. Six days later, in the Bronx against the Yankees, he did it again. Another shutout. Nine innings, five hits, eight punchouts. The Bronx Bombers didn’t sniff third base.
Two shutouts in two starts. That’s old-school stuff. That’s rubber-armed, top-of-the-rotation, “get-on-my-back” kind of stuff. And it might be the clearest signal yet that Saito has finally locked in.
Let’s rewind. Look at his last ten outings. Yeah, you’ll see the stinkers. Three starts where he gave up five or more runs. But you’ll also see six outings where he went at least eight innings. You’ll see a pair of ten-strikeout efforts. You’ll see a guy who, when he has his slider working, still knows how to carve up a lineup.
The inconsistency has been maddening, no doubt. One start he’s Houdini. The next, he’s a pinata. But that might be changing. The pitch mix has settled. The walk totals are still a little high, but he’s working around them. And most importantly, he’s finishing games. Six complete games in 14 starts isn’t something you see anymore. That alone is worth a nod.
Now, don’t get too carried away. The peripherals are still shaky. A 1.29 WHIP and 45 walks in 112.2 innings isn’t going to win him any Cy Young votes. His FIP? An unsightly 4.98. But WAR doesn’t always tell the whole story, and neither does ERA+. What matters now is that Saito is getting outs—and doing it in bulk.
At 30 years old, Saito isn’t going to reinvent himself. He is what he is: a veteran righty with a deep arsenal and enough guile to fool hitters when he’s on. What we’re seeing now might not be a renaissance, but it’s a damn good stretch at a time when his team needs it most.
The question is whether it lasts. Is this the start of a second-half surge? Or just a well-timed flash of the old brilliance?
If Saito’s next start looks anything like his last two, we might have our answer. Either way, it’s been a hell of a ride these past two turns. And for now, that’s more than enough.