LA Dodgers fans were able to get their first look at big free agent and starting pitching acquisition Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Wednesday.
The Japanese pitcher got his first start in the Dodgers’ royal blue jersey as they took on the 2023 World Series champions Texas Rangers. He pitched two scoreless innings, with three strikeouts and one hit allowed. Whilst it was only a spring training game, this type of performance gave everyone a glimpse of what to expect once the Major League Baseball season rolls around.
Ultimately, the Rangers won the game 6-4, but Yamamoto’s outing saw him face some excellent hitters such as Marcus Semien and Nathaniel Lowe. During his display he showed off his array of pitches, delivering 16 strikes from 19 throws.
Reflecting on his performance, Yamamoto said, “There’s a part of me that’s relieved.
“From here, there will be more innings and I’m wondering how that will go. But as far as today’s game was concerned, I thought it went well.
Joining the LA Dodgers
Following the announcement that free agent Shohei Ohtani had chosen to join the Dodgers, all focus shifted to the future of Yamamoto, who suddenly became the biggest name on the market. Despite never throwing a pitch in the majors, the 25-year old had a host of teams who were desperate for his signature. Up to seven teams were linked with the pitcher, including the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees, and of course the Dodgers, who he ended up joining. As the off-season wore on, two teams emerged as the finalists for Yamamoto, the Yankees and Dodgers. Many believed that he was going to move to New York, but ultimately the allure of the Dodgers and perhaps the opportunity to play alongside fellow Japanese superstar Ohtani was too good to turn down. Although Ohtani played a big role in recruiting him, he said that even if the star had ended up playing for another team, he still would have chosen LA.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto says he would've "probably still ended up in L.A. as a Dodger" even if Shohei Ohtani didn't sign with them pic.twitter.com/NlmiZh0NVk
— SNY (@SNYtv) December 27, 2023
He ended up signing a 12-year $325m contract to pair him alongside Ohtani and join a star-studded roster including Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. In terms of guaranteed money, Yamamoto is now the highest paid pitcher in MLB history.
The highly coveted right-hander had expressed his excitement at joining the Dodgers, saying "I am beyond ecstatic to become a member of this historic franchise and cannot express how much it means to me to be able to call Los Angeles my new home."
Why Yamamoto was so coveted
Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) is the highest level of baseball in Japan and is where Yamamoto had spent his entire career. In seven years with the Orix Buffaloes, Yamamoto became arguably the greatest pitcher ever to play in the league. As a result, he grabbed the attention of all the biggest MLB franchises, which sparked a huge interest from fans in where he was going to end up.
In his seven-season NPB career, he had plenty of success. In addition to winning a championship in 2022, he won three straight MVP awards between 2021 and 2023, as well as being a five-time all-star. His stats are even more impressive, through 2023 he had a win-loss record of 70-29, with an ERA of 1.82. He also recorded 922 total strikeouts. During his final two seasons with the Buffaloes, Yamamoto threw two no-hitters, becoming the first pitcher in NPB history to do so in consecutive years.
Further honours include the Eiji Sawamura award, which is the Japanese equivalent to the Cy Young. Yamamoto won this three times. He also earned the Japanese ‘Triple Crown’ on three occasions, which recognises when a player leads the league in three statistical categories.
It was announced that Yamamoto would be posted to MLB on the same day the Buffaloes fell to defeat in game seven of the Japan series. He pitched in game six the day before, throwing 138 pitches with 14 strikeouts, breaking the Japan series record. It was an excellent response to his disappointing outing in game one, in which he gave up seven runs in an 8-0 loss.
This type of resilience and bounce-back ability is a big part in why many teams were confident in his quality translating to MLB. He is tipped for a very successful first season with the Dodgers.
Yamamoto’s fit in the Dodgers rotation
A lot of talk in the off-season has been how dangerous the Dodgers offense will be with the addition of Ohtani. He will be hitting in a lineup filled with supreme talent, most notably Betts and Freeman who will be batting either side of him. However, quality pitching is what gets teams over the line in the playoffs, and whilst they have greatly improved their offense, the starting pitching rotation has also taken a great leap.
Ohtani will not pitch this season as he recovers from surgery to repair a UCL injury in his right elbow. However, what was once a weakness is now a strength for the Dodgers, following the acquisitions of Yamamoto in free agency and Tyler Glasnow from the Tampa Bay Rays via trade. Last season, the starting pitchers had a collective ERA of 4.57, which was 20th in the league.
Despite signing Yamamoto, there were many questions that needed to be answered, given the fact that Clayton Kershaw had hit free agency, and that Tony Gonsolin will be missing the entire season after Tommy John surgery. As a result, they traded for Glasnow, who with the impending return of Walker Buehler from injury, may slot in at third in the rotation. This only highlights the embarrassment of riches they now have on the mound.
Yamamoto will be their ace, with Buehler and Glasnow just behind, though the former will most likely miss time at the beginning of the season. The only thing that could be the downfall of this rotation is health, as Buehler has been out for a year and a half, and Glasnow has suffered numerous injuries in the past. Behind them is Bobby Miller, who enjoyed an admirable rookie campaign last season. In 22 starts, he finished with an 11-4 record, 3.76 ERA and 119 strikeouts. He will fit in nicely behind the top three.
Next season, they will be adding Ohtani into the mix, which is a scary thought for the rest of the league. But for now, the Dodgers are favourites to win it all, and with their off-season acquisitions, they certainly have the talent to do it.