Rookie pitcher Roki Sasaki is garnering much attention so far at Spring Training for the Los Angeles Dodgers, but when asked about how he looked in his live batting practice session on Wednesday, Mookie Betts deflected, saying it did not matter, drawing some comparisons to Allen Iverson.

“It's practice. Who cares?” Mookie Betts said, via Bill Plunkett. “If he shoved, it'd be a story. If he didn't shove, it'd be a story. No matter what. We'll see when we start in Tokyo.”

Sasaki is set to make his debut for the Dodgers in Japan at the Tokyo Dome against the Chicago Cubs on March 19, the second game of a two-game set. The first game is expected to be started by Yoshinobu Yamamoto, one of the Dodgers' many marquee signings in recent years.

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The Dodgers landing Sasaki was very significant this offseason, as he has the potential to be an ace-level pitcher in MLB. He will be under control for six years, due to coming over from Japan before he turned 25 years old. Obviously, his first MLB start taking place in Japan is a huge moment for him in his professional career.

Betts is right that how Sasaki looks in live batting practice doesn't matter very much. Pitchers are very much ramping up still, and hitters are still getting used to seeing high-velocity pitches again. Still, it is intriguing for fans to see top players like Betts face Sasaki. It is the first glimpse that fans have at a very exciting pitching prospect.

Luckily, Sasaki will not have too much pressure on him as a rookie. The Dodgers' rotation has plenty of high-end options, with Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Yamamoto headlining that group. Los Angeles' lineup is stacked, especially at the top, but with better health, the pitching staff could be significantly upgraded from the 2024 version of the team.