The Los Angeles Dodgers' spring training season is heating up in Arizona, and Manager Dave Roberts' lesser known Japanese offseason addition Yoshinobu Yamamoto is already turning heads.
Yamamoto is known for his quiet demeanor but loud performances on the mound. He made his debut against the Rangers on Wednesday and spoke about it afterward, breaking the silence on his effective performance.
His performance was also given a hilarious take by Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani. Yamamoto's performance was also deemed impressive by media personnel.
The Dodgers' new potential star went just two innings, but it was enough to send shockwaves throughout the baseball world.
Dodgers' Yamamoto Speaks to Media
Speaking through a translator, Yamamoto calmly described his opening performance.
He said that his focus was on doing just that: staying calm, and doing his job ‘from the get go.'
Dodgers Spring Season Continues
Manager Dave Roberts' team has jumped out to a 5-1 record on the young spring training so far, adding to hopes of an NL West pennant for the Dodgers this season.
Spring training isn't always an honest barometer of where a team might finish during the regular season, but the additions of Yamamoto and Ohtani have Los Angeles fans making early playoff preparations, at least mentality.
Roberts' team will keep a close eye on Yamamoto's performance as his young career with the team continues to expand. Yamamoto might not relish the attention like Ohtani seems to do, but he does have the calm and unflappable demeanor that suggests he can lead the Dodgers to a World Series sometime in the near future.
Watching how it all unfolds, and how Yamamoto develops, is just part of the fun for a Dodgers franchise that is jam-packed with veteran leadership and talented players.