Mike Salas
In 2022 I posted on many Dodgers Podcasts “You need to know the name of Yoshinobu Yamamoto” and the response I would get was “who is that?” I have posted many articles on him detailing his career in the NPB and made the bold prediction he would be the Dodgers number one starter.
The Los Angeles Dodgers signed the coveted super star from the Orix Buffaloes to a 12-year deal worth $325 million and paid the $50 million dollar posting fee to the Orix Buffaloes. Yamamoto came to the states with very impressive resume in the Nippon Professional Baseball League and was looking to make a name for himself in the Major Leagues.
In the five seasons playing in the NPB. Yamamoto was a three-time winner of the Eiji Sawamura Award, three-time Triple Crown winner, a gold medalist in the 2020 Summer Olympics, and helped Japan win the 2023 World Baseball Classic. In his time playing in the NPB, Yamamoto had some very impressive stats that made him the number one target for most Major League teams in 2023.
NPB Stats: 1.72ERA / 14CG / 8SHO / 986SO / .714W/L% / 0.915WHIP / 9.2SO9. A 4-seam fastball, 2-seam fastball, fork ball, curve ball, cutter, and a slider. His go to pitch is a fastball in the outer portion of the strike zone with speeds of 95-98. He throws his splitter 30% of the time and ranks the highest of all MLB pitchers at 91 mph. Over 70% of his splitters hit for strikes.
So, did Yoshinobu live up to the hype in his first season with the Dodgers? I would say yes, but not a convincing one if that makes sense. Yamamoto seemed to be seasrching for his place with the team in his first few months and I think that effected his pitching. Yamamoto dealt with an arm injury that put him on the injured list for a number of months and had problems tipping his pitches.
He showed signs of his dominance in his Dodger stadium debut against the Cardinals with 5.0IP / 2H / 0R / 0BB / 5K, his Yankee stadium debut with 7IP / 2H / 0ER / 7K / 2BB, and his redemption NLDS game against the Padres with 5 shutout innings / 2H / 0ER / 1BB / 2K.
Yoshinobu held his own in the World Series against the Yankees posting 6.1IP / 1H / 1ER / 1HR / 2BB / 4SO / .179AVG / 0.96WHIP to help the Dodgers win their eighth World Series. He also became the first Japanese pitcher to win an MLB World Series, Japan Series, World Baseball Classic, and Olympic Gold. The impressive part of that, he is only 26 years old.
With a full season under his belt and winning his first World Series Championship, I feel Yoshinobu will have a breakout season in 2025 and will be in consideration for his first Cy Young Award.
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