He’s the most coveted free-agent pitcher of the offseason. Yet many baseball fans have never heard of him, let alone seen him pitch.
He’s Yoshinobu Yamamoto. And he’s coming to the major leagues next season. We just don’t know where yet.
The 25-year-old right-hander has dominated the Japan Pacific League, especially the past three seasons − racking up 18, 15 and 16 wins and posting ERAs of 1.39, 1.68 and 1.16. That dominance has resulted in him being named Pacific League MVP twice and winning three consecutive awards as the league’s top pitcher.
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Who is Yoshinobu Yamamoto?
Yamamoto was born Aug. 17, 1998, in Bizen, Okayama in Japan.
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The right-hander signed with the Orix Buffaloes of the Japanese Pacific League at the age of 18, and made his NPB debut in 2017, three days after his 19th birthday.
Yamamoto has drawn comparisons to peak Pedro Martinez because of his smallish stature (5-10, 176 pounds) and his amazing dominance.
What are Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s stats in Japan?
Yamamoto has spent seven seasons with the Orix Buffaloes, posting a record of 70-29 (.707) with a sparkling 1.82 ERA.
He’s averaged 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings, while allowing 6.4 hits and 2.1 walks per nine for a career WHIP of 0.935.
Yamamoto has thrown two career no-hitters for the Buffaloes, one on June 18, 2022 and another on Sept. 9, 2023.
His…