Meet Yoshinobu Yamamoto: The BEST Pitcher who's Never Played in MLB

Yoshinobu Yamamoto might be the Greatest Japanese pitcher of All Time... and He's Headed to Los Angeles to play with Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers!
Here's everything you need to know about the Next Japanese Phenom from his dominating splitter to his near 100 MPH Fastball. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is already a Top Pitcher in MLB before stepping foot on the field.
3x Cy Young in the NPB, 3x MVP of the Pacific League, Olympic Gold Medalist and World Baseball Classic Winner - Yoshi's resume speaks for itself

[@SwayNoLee]

Dodger Nation stand tf up💙

[@loganz20939]

Wonder how much hype Roki Sasaki will get when he gets posted

[@gabrielv.2647]

3 straight Japanese CY young's, and 1.85 era in 7 seasons?! That's video game stuff on beginner level and this guy is doing it in real life lol. Amazing!

[@木村-f7w]

Mountain Japan, MLB, Japan, Japan, Japan, Japan, Japan, Japan, Japan, Japan, Japan When you use your hands, you divide yourself, think about it, think about it, think about it.

[@cincodinero8901]

Going against a lot of lefty’s to

[@ElectrikNYCfunK]

Senga was a joy to watch here in Flushing, my Mets would be fools to not go after as many of the Japanese FA's as possible w/ the Asian community here they would bring in alot of new money which would help pay off the contracts

[@JesusChrist2000BC]

Stop. The Mets do not deserve to hoard so much talent.

[@ElectrikNYCfunK]

after all the hell we have been through, we are more than deserving! lmaooo!!!@@JesusChrist2000BC

[@ElectrikNYCfunK]

1 month later .... Welp lol....that Lee kid who went to SF was the 1 we really shoulda went for .... oh wells Cohen/Stearns screwed the bed

[@BryanChance]

Next season would be crazy to watch!! I can't wait.

[@mirikaku5811]

Great video!

[@miknak5254]

Yoshi is a good mixture of Greg Maddox and Pedro Martinez. He will give his team a chance to win every 5th day. He will eat up lots of innings. I think he will win anywhere between 13 - 18 games, depending on run support, of course. For his sake, I want him to be a #2 or #3 starter on his new team. It's too much to ask him to be the ace on his new MLB team right out of the gate. I hope he will sign with the Seattle Mariners. He will be a good fit there.

[@markk2745]

Run support will not be an issue.

[@meetra5073]

One thing you didn't mention or didn't know, but even when senga was in the NPB yamamoto was still the clear #1 pitcher in the league and it wasn't really close. Senga's best season before he came to MLB was a 1.89 ERA in 2022, while yamamoto had a 1.68 that szn. And even then iirc yamamoto had a 1 "blowup" start where he allowed 5 runs in 6.2 innings which made his ERA jump to that. I was trying to do the math but the only number I was getting was like 1.15, but that doesn't make sense I dont think lol. Either way in 2022 was senga's 2nd best season by ERA- at a 61 (his best being a 56 in 2020). Yamamoto's worst ERA- since he became a full time starter is 58 in 2020 when he was 22 and senga was 27. Then yamamoto went to have one of the best seasons ever with a 41 ERA- in 2021 (greg maddux 1994 was 37 era-). And this season yamamoto supposedly had a ~260 ERA+, the NPB's official stats havent released yet for ERA- yet so that will be very interesting to see He also might win his 3rd MVP, sawamura, and triple crown this year. He already has the sawamura and triple crown but MVP hasn't been announced yet. I'd be extremely surprised if he isn't in the conversation for cy young this next season, even with an adjustment period he should be a big contender

[@stem50]

Mets Need this Guy Badly . I see Cohen putting Out LARGE here.

[@Deltaaaaaaaaa]

I know it won’t happen, but damn I’d be happy if the Yankees got him

[@xXDjChAos247Xx]

Dodgers

[@davidnyynykbills2067]

He'd look good in pinstripes

[@AndrewBooth-w6f]

That POs don’t know what’s even on the line . They spoiled him too much too be that relaxed around hitters he may have won all that shit back in Japan but here where history is made . That man is an overpriced pawn . Not worth paying 325,000,000 but legally is 😢

[@JocelynMorimoto]

Better future is waiting for you Yosh. Wishing you the best of everything..

[@RobinForever22]

Go dodgers

[@AndrewBooth-w6f]

It’s a war for more everyday I understand that but as far as pay 325,000,000 for slop he’s no better and no nomo

[@sfv6]

LA!

[@AndrewBooth-w6f]

With that much money they spent on him I was expecting zero hits and major strikeouts

[@AndrewBooth-w6f]

When you let a team beat you that never had a World Series title you won’t win the World Series

[@AndrewBooth-w6f]

I’ll Never bet on his team making it too the World Series seeing how they play

[@alexalmonte8499]

Yankees

[@RamboPreaches]

Oakland are gonna sign him

[@petercoyne7676]

The Mets is where i want him to go. Any team can get him tho. As far as Ohtani goes, he will probably wind up in a Dodgers uniform or Giants. Would love him with the Mets as well but you have to cut the spending at some point

[@AndrewBooth-w6f]

World Series or bust! I see dodgers going bank rupt

[@RussellRussell-wy2om]

Yankees

[@ZeroPointFrost]

Realistically I’m thinking the Mets simply bc they tend to love to throw money at people. Even tho id love to see him go to the dodgers since we need better pitching. I doubt we will try for ohtani so this is a great alternative

[@enzolin2615]

well this aged like a fine wine

[@AndrewBooth-w6f]

Will Never be a World Series champion!

[@AndrewBooth-w6f]

Facts do the Japanese people know them!

[@AndrewBooth-w6f]

Won’t get them too the World Series !

[@firefighting.responder]

I think he will sign a contract with the TEXAS RANGERS....

[@JocelynMorimoto]

Good luck Yosh!!

[@obsidian00]

I hope and PRAY that my Yankees make it happen! 🙌🏾

[@AndrewBooth-w6f]

Giving up runs early

[@AndrewBooth-w6f]

The worst in america

[@MC-tm2uy]

I appreciate the fact that you recognized how good the NBP is, it's annoying to hear how so many analysts questioning how good can a Japanese player be and if they are worth the contract because they haven't played in the MLB, like only the MLB is world class. It smacked of American arrogance. When we look back at all the Japanese players that came over....every one of them turned out to be between good and great. Not a single bust. And the Japanese team went head to head against the American team this WBC and beat them. So at least there is close parity there. Enough of this "so and so never played in the MLB therefore is unproven"...news flash...America isn't the sh*t that we think we are. The best basketball players in the NBA now are international players, baseball is the same.

[@DrAnarchy69]

Yamamoto goes to NYC. No doubt, either Yankees or Mets. I’d be SHOCKED if he went anywhere else. Hoping he becomes a Yankee since I’m a Yankees fan

[@BilalSattar]

😅

[@johnnyboyjohns2930]

Shocked yet?!?

[@SuperCatacata]

The Japanese remember New York talking crap about Ohtani during that MVP race.

[@ParamoreFAV3]

Don’t like that auction type of setting but I get it. Tampa Bay should really make a move Also, new subscriber bro

[@joedoe2312]

When the 45 days start and end?

[@pacman072286]

Red Sox, they are in dire need of pitching plus he’s best friends and former teammates with Masataka Yoshida.

[@MIKELIN8]

I would say the Dodgers have traditionally been aggressive in signing (or bidding on) Japanese stars. But what I've read is that Andrew Freidman is 'obsessed' with signing SHohei Ohtani. When/if he is able to return to pitching in 2025, he'll be worth the $50m'year his contract will call for.

[@elcannip7971]

Ahah they got both now

[@epvendetta]

Great post.

[@robbielargenton5677]

How long does he take between pitches will the pitch clock really hurt him

[@justvibing2497]

Hate that they hold these players for 7 years .

[@GomerBaseball]

It certainly does put lots of stress on their arms; Japan pitchers go through rigorous workloads. Luckily for Yoshi he isn’t a ‘power’ pitcher really so hoping he’ll stay in good health

[@rameezmuhammad6737]

Tbf baseball is a big thing in Japan. It's only fair they do hold their players for 7 years. They deserve to enjoy what they produced it isn't all about the MLB and US

[@hinhin5554]

Orix is pretty generous considering the fact that Senga's previous team didn't allow him to go to MLB till his near 30.

[@kyronology1533]

It’s not just NPB club’s problem. The current mlb cba doesn’t allow international players to sign major league contracts unless they’re 25 and have six years experience of foreign pro league. Meanwhile under the current MLB-NPB system, the posting fee NPB can get depends on how big the players contracts are. So if you’re a player like Ohtani in 2018, you can only sign minor league contact with limited signing bonus which means NPB club only gets very small amount of posting fee from MLB club. It’ll discourage Japanese club to post prospect when they’re still young

[@JesusChrist2000BC]

​@@rameezmuhammad6737So? Imagine if we only got Dominican or Cuban players after 7 years? The amount of talent Japan is hoarding is keeping them out of the major spotlight. I get wanting to have your own teams but 7 years is too long. Should be 3 max.

[@bluescrubsn1913]

Where is he going to end up? Dodgers!

[@charlestran6265]

I already have a nickname for him. “The Battleship” in reference to the Battleship Yamamoto from WW2.

[@usamachinist]

Surely you jest, The Yamamoto was sunk before it ever won any sea battles or lived up to the hype!

[@charlestran6265]

@@usamachinist Oh.. well… in that case, maybe not. Forget what I said. Maybe just “Yoshi” will do for now.

[@brightlight3129]

@@usamachinist he prob will go 1.98 era first season. since he was way better than senga and senga made most of the mlb pitchers looks like kindergarten.

[@usamachinist]

@@brightlight3129 He will be interesting to watch and keep up with!

[@ヌカコーク]

It's yamato,not yamamoto.

[@tanyamcdermott134]

He would work GREAT WITH KODAI SENGA ...LETS GO METS!!!!

[@samhe1282]

Masa-high-roll Tanaka XD

[@knoxconary]

Yamamoto, YOU ARE a Red Sox

[@knoxconary]

I say Red Sox because they need pitching and have mentioned they will prioritize pitching. Montgomery will go back to the Rangers and up the Red Sox urgency on Yamamoto

[@torfe2002]

Ohtani thinjs l Yamamoto bong to Yakuza clan Yamamoto

[@johnnyboyjohns2930]

Yamamoto

[@josiahmoorhouse8036]

Not before baseball BREAKS his elbow. Looking forward to his inevitable Tommy John surgery.

[@pumpkinhill4570]

Is this an AI voice?

[@biglar769]

I hope David Sterns has the smarts to sign him and Ohtani. We all know Uncle Steve has to money for both of them. I think they would both look great in NYM orange and blue.

[@AndrewBooth-w6f]

No one talking about the billion dollar hole they built! All letting batters on base ohh score a home run too why don’t you it won’t get them too the World Series

[@AndrewBooth-w6f]

Shame he brought too the Japanese people last night !

[@JayJay-ft9zu]

Overhyped and he has never pitched in the MLB , Japan and MLB is much different, and no way hes worth more than Cole gtfo here..

[@vic-zv4bb]

you dont know ball

[@AndrewBooth-w6f]

Billion dollar team lost too a million dollar team

[@softwhiteund3rarm0r]

Yamamoto isn't gonna live up to the hype.

[@johnnyboyjohns2930]

Salty waters in my eye . . . . . . Putz 😂

[@bsu88]

u mad