Former Main League Baseball outfielder Josh Reddick supplied a easy query on X when Yoshinobu Yamamoto first signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers two years in the past:
“How do you give a man $325 million with out ever throwing a pitch in MLB?”
Effectively, Mr. Reddick… it’s fairly easy. Whenever you’ve received among the greatest stuff within the sport, and helped your ballclub win the World Sequence in 12 months 1 of a prolonged contract, the deal basically speaks for itself.
Extra information: Freddie Freeman Says Dodgers Received 2024 World Sequence Due to Dave Roberts
Yamamoto continues to show doubters fallacious with a ridiculously robust begin to the 2025 season. After blanking the Texas Rangers with seven scoreless innings and 10 strikeouts, Yamamoto is now 3-1 on the yr with a 0.93 ERA. He’s allowed solely 18 hits in 29.0 innings, hanging out 38 batters for good measure.
Dave Roberts was particularly requested about Yamamoto’s development as a starter within the massive leagues. Going toe-to-toe with Jacob deGrom — and in the end besting him — is definitely a feather in Yamamoto’s cap.
“There’s plenty of time, however I do assume that proper now, he’s the most effective pitcher within the Nationwide League,” Roberts mentioned. “Now, (Paul) Skenes is fairly good too, so no disrespect. He elevated his sport to a different degree. You would see that he was going in opposition to one of many sport’s greatest in deGrom, and he clearly matched him pitch for pitch. You take a look at who you’re opposing. He’s one of many sport’s greatest. I do know Yoshi’s adopted him for years, Cy Younger winner. You need to form of go toe to toe with him on the highway. And he did that.”
Yamamoto has a six-pitch combine he makes use of. It’s closely reliant upon a splitter, curveball, and four-seam fastball. He additionally will throw a cutter, sinker, and slider for good measure. As of April 21, Yamamoto ranks within the 99th percentile in Pitching Run Worth and Offspeed Run Worth.
Roberts is very impressed with Yamamoto when he will get forward of hitters.
“His execution has been unreal all yr,” Roberts mentioned. “He simply has so some ways to get forward of hitters. 2-0, he can dump in a curveball, he can dot a fastball away. He simply has so some ways to get again into the depend. Then as soon as he’s up within the depend, he’s received plenty of pitches to place them away. He has one thing for each scenario and he’s been executing all of them. He’s top-of-the-line pitchers in our sport proper now. I can’t actually think about anybody being any higher than him proper now.”
Extra information: Shohei Ohtani Nonetheless ‘A Couple Months Away’ From Pitching for Dodgers, Says Dave Roberts
Picture Credit score: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Photos
Have you ever joined our Discord Channel but? Be part of the last word Dodgers Nation neighborhood and get VIP Nation Entry! Don’t miss out on real-time Dodgers discuss, call-in entry to Dodgers Dougout, behind-the-scenes content material, unique interviews, giveaways, and extra!
