The Los Angeles Dodgers made a huge splash this past winter, signing both Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani. Yamamoto was the best pitcher on the open market and joined the organization after a standout career in the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan, ultimately inking a 12-year, $325 million deal. Needless to say, the Dodgers believe he's worth a lot.
However, Yamamoto struggled immensely in three spring training starts, compiling a concerning 8.38 ERA in just 9.2 innings pitched. The Japanese phenom was hit around. That being said, the 25-year-old doesn't sound too worried about how things went in Cactus League action.
Speaking ahead of his season debut on Thursday against the San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea, Yamamoto expressed confidence in his ability to get the job done for the Dodgers.
Via ESPN:
“I'm not really concerned about the numbers,” Yamamoto said through an interpreter.
Yamamoto has something to prove
Yoshinobu Yamamoto looked solid in his first few bullpens in Arizona, showcasing his electric fastball and top-notch off-speed stuff. He tossed two clean innings in his spring debut against the Texas Rangers, but it all went downhill from there. The White Sox lit him up for five earned runs in three innings of work on March 6th before Yamamoto allowed another four earned on eight hits to the Seattle Mariners a week later.
Although not much is typically made of how someone performs in spring training, it is a bit worrying considering Los Angeles signed Yamamoto to be a top-of-the-line starter and potentially their ace. Let's be honest, though. Big league hitters are a whole different beast compared to Japan and there is always going to be an adjustment period for any guy who comes across the pond to play in the best league in the world. Although Dodgers fans won't love to see him struggle, it comes with the territory.
Yamamoto's fastball typically sits in the mid-90s and against the Mariners early on, he was beating them with the heater. But, Seattle eventually figured it out and jumped on the four-seamer. His cutter and splitter are both fantastic offerings that did induce a lot of weak contact in spring action.
The reality is MLB hitters love the fastball, doesn't matter if it's coming at 90 mph or 100 mph. They will be on it like white on rice. If Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the Dodgers catchers can learn how to mix things up more, it'll keep opponents off-balance. That's the key for any pitcher in the show.
Yamamoto owned a mind-boggling 70-29 record and 1.82 ERA in seven years in Japan, striking out 9.3 hitters per nine innings. He even won three straight MVP awards. The hype is warranted. Yamamoto then signed the richest contract in MLB history before even appearing in a big league game. That definitely brings high expectations. But, he's used to the pressure after a storied career in Japan and Yamamoto has all the support he requires. The Japanese superstar just needs to get accustomed to a new league.
The Dodgers are 1-0 thus far after beating the Padres on Wednesday. Shohei Ohtani had two hits in his LA debut. Yamamoto will be tasked with a tough San Diego lineup, who have the likes of Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, and Fernando Tatis Jr. It'll be interesting to see how he fares against a divisional rival.
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