Japan’s Yoshinobu Yamamoto Expected to Receive Wide-Spread Interest Across MLB This Winter 

   This off-season’s free-agent class, while thin, will be headlined by two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and outfielder Cody Bellinger. But it’ll also feature one of the sports’ most intriguing arms, right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto. 

   The Japanese hurler has been one the brightest attractions in Nippon Professional Baseball over the last several seasons. And this year was no different, as the 25-year-old posted a 1.16 ERA with 176 strikeouts across 171.0 innings for the Orix Buffaloes. 

   Yamamoto is eligible to be posted to Major League Baseball this winter, where he’s expected to become the top starting pitcher available on the open market. And teams are already lining up in droves to bid for his services. 

   That group, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, is believed to reportedly include the New York Mets, Yankees, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox. 

   Heyman also notes that rival GMs fear the Mets could make the strongest push for Yamamoto – a pursuit backed by owner Steve Cohen’s deep pockets. That’ll likely prove valuable, as the Buffaloes’ ace could command upwards of $200 million. 

   A deal so lucrative would also come with a hefty posting fee, as per MLB’s guidelines, which outline that any contract worth $50 million or more shall include a charge of 20% for the first $25 million, 17.5% for the next $25 million and 15% for any amount remaining.

   In this case, that’d result in a 15% fee on the $150 million left owing on the contract, equaling a $22.5 million charge. 

   Yamamoto, however, would surely be well worth that expensive price point, given his age and past dominance on the mound. He’s a five-time NPB All-Star and a two-time winner of the Pacific League MVP, Eiji Sawamura Award (Japan’s Cy Young Award) and Gold Glove Award for a Pacific League pitcher. 

   The 5-foot-10 righty completed his second career no-hitter on Sep. 9th – in front of Yankees GM Brian Cashman, no less – becoming the first pitcher in NPB history to accomplish the feat in consecutive seasons. 

   On top of that, Yamamoto capped off his stellar 2023 campaign by tossing seven scoreless innings and striking out 11, allowing just three hits and two walks. 

   If that weren’t enough, Yamamoto also helped Team Japan capture the World Baseball Classic title over Team USA last spring, registering a 2.45 ERA with 12 punchouts over 7.1 innings. 

   The rising star utilizes a three-quarter delivery, disguising his mid-90s fastball that can reach as high as 99 mph. His arsenal also includes a nasty splitter, cutter and curveball. But he generates most of his swing-and-miss with his top two offerings. 

   Not only does he possess overpowering weapons, but he also commands the strike zone very effectively, as he earned a 4.2% walk rate in 2023 – the lowest of his career. 

   Across seven professional seasons, Yamamoto owns a 1.72 ERA, 26.4% strikeout rate and 5.8% walk rate over 188 games with Orix.

   All things considered, Ohtani won’t be the only Japanese hurler set to command significant money on the open market this offseason.

-Thomas Hall

Twitter: @ThomasHall85

Photo: Orixbaseballclub. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

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