Rookie phenom Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday for the Los Angeles Dodgers as they face the division-rival San Diego Padres. It would be understandable for Yamamoto to be feeling nervous ahead of his first postseason appearance, but that is not the case.
Yamamoto spoke about how he is feeling ahead of his Game 1 start in a video posted to social media by the Dodgers.
“I want to take responsibility and give it my all when I pitch,” Yamamoto said. “More than anything, I just want to help the team get to the World Series and become champions. I believe the support from the fans gives us a great boost. I love playing in that kind of vibe, and it honestly helps me perform even better than I usually do.”
Yamamoto's outlook has to make Dodgers fans feel great heading into the postseason. Last season, the Dodgers were shockingly swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS. Following that disappointment, the Dodgers spent over $1 billion this offseason on superstar Shohei Ohtani, Yamamoto, injured starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow, outfielder Teoscar Hernandez and more. The pressure is on for this year's team to not only advance to the NLCS, but win the World Series.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto's first season in the Major Leagues with the Los Angeles Dodgers
After signing a 12-year, $325 million deal with the Dodgers this offseason, expectations were high for Yamamoto. While he has largely impressed, pitching to a 7-2 record with a 3.00 ERA through 18 starts, the biggest story has been Yamamoto's health.
Yamamoto injured his shoulder in June and has made just four starts since returning from the injured list. In those starts, Yamamoto has a 3.38 ERA, but only reached five innings once, in his last start of the regular season on Sept. 28. While it makes sense that the Dodgers were being conservative with Yamamoto and he has had about a week since his last start to continue building up to his Game 1 start, there is still reason to be concerned.
Especially after it was revealed that Clayton Kershaw will not be on the NLDS roster, there is even more pressure on Yamamoto to set the tone early in the series. However, based on his comments, it seems like his is more-than up for the task.