Japanese national baseball team ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 25, has taken the first step in his quest to play in Major League Baseball.”Yamamoto’s elemental team, the Oryx Buffaloes, has completed its application to the Major League Baseball through the posting system,” Japanese media outlets including Daily Sports reported on Nov. 21.MLB.com reported, “Starting at 8 a.m. ET on Jan. 21 (10 p.m. PT on Jan. 21), Yamamoto will be able to negotiate with 30 Major League Baseball teams. Negotiations end at 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 4, 2024 (7 a.m. ET on Jan. 5).”Prior to the posting, there were reports in the U.S. that more than 10 teams, including the New York Yankees, Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Francisco Giants, were interested in signing Yamamoto.U.S. and Japanese media are confident that Yamamoto will easily surpass Masahiro Tanaka’s Asian record of seven years and $155 million when he signed with the New York Yankees in 2014.
The Athletic, CBS Sports, and other U.S. media outlets predicted that “any team that wants to sign Yamamoto will have to offer him a seven-year, $200 million contract.”Yamamoto became the first pitcher in Nippon Professional Baseball to win the Pacific League’s four pitching titles in three consecutive years.From 2021 through this year, he led the league in wins, ERA, strikeouts, and winning percentage.Yamamoto’s 2023 season record is 16-6 with a 1.21 ERA in 23 games and 169 strikeouts, and his career record in Nippon Professional Baseball is 70-29 with a 1.82 ERA in 172 games and 32 saves.A fastball that averages 153 mph and tops out at 159 mph and a splitter that averages 144 mph, Yamamoto also has a curveball that sits in the low 120 mph range. He also throws a cut fastball and slider.Yamamoto has been a key pitcher for Japan in international competitions, including the 2019 Premier 12, the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, and the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC).With a proven track record in Nippon Professional Baseball and international competition, 카지노사이트킹 Major League Baseball teams are expected to pursue Yamamoto.
