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Yoshinobu Yamamoto
“I am truly excited to wear Dodger Blue and can’t wait to play in front of a packed Dodger Stadium,” said Japan's best pitcher post locking a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a 5-foot-10-inch (1.78 m), 177-pound (80 kg) right-handed pitcher, who throws a fastball averaging 95 mph (153 km/h), is Japan's best pitching import ever.
In December 2023, Yoshinobu Yamamoto signed a 12 year, $325 million contract with the Dodgers, which made him “the highest-paid pitcher in MLB history”. Before Yoshi enters the realms of MLB as a rookie in 2024, his contract, earnings, family etc. deserve a deep dive.
The Japanese pitcher played for the Japan’s NPB's Orix Buffaloes for 6 years (2017-2023). With this, the Japanese man accumulated a net worth of $40 Million with a $28 million average salary for the ongoing year, per the Celebrity Net Worth.
The $5 million base salary plus $50 million signing bonus pro-rated for the season, amounting to $9.17 million, makes up his payroll salary for the year 2024. Moreover, there is no information available regarding the endorsements associated with the pitcher.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto was born on August 17, 1998 in Bizen, Okayama Prefecture, Japan. While baseball enthusiasts have been eager to know about the personal tidbits of “the best pitcher in Japan”, Yamamoto has chosen to keep his educational and family background in closed doors.
In 2017, three days after his 19th birthday, Yoshinobu Yamamoto made his Nippon Professional Baseball debut for the Pacific League’s Orix Buffaloes. Yoshi represented his Japan national baseball team in the 2019 exhibition games and the 2020 Summer Olympics, winning the gold medal against Team USA in the latter.
USA Today via Reuters
Aug 4, 2021; Yokohama, Japan; Team Japan pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (17) throws a pitch against Korea in a baseball semifinal match during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Yokohama Baseball Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports
Pitching in two games, starting one, in the tournament and allowing two runs in 7+1⁄3 innings, Yamamoto represented Japan in the 5th World Baseball Classic, with his team winning the gold medal. Moreover, Yoshinobu Yamamoto wasn’t NPB’s “great pitcher” but the “league's no-doubt ace” for three consecutive years from 2021 to 2023.
From winning Pacific League Most Valuable Player in the 2021 season to becoming the first pitcher in NPB history to throw no-hitters in consecutive seasons, Yoshi reigned supreme over the NPB, leading the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts each of these three seasons.
This unprecedented feat earned him three consecutive Eiji Sawamura Awards, Japan's esteemed Cy Young equivalent. While Major League Baseball has only seen three Triple Crown winners, Japan's Yamamoto stands as a singular force, conquering the feat three times in a row! Over seven seasons with the Orix Buffaloes, Yamamoto dominated as a starter, boasting a phenomenal 1.72 ERA.
From being Japan’s best pitcher to many anticipating him to replicate the same to Major Leagues, Yamamoto’s NPB and International achievements and accolades speak for themselves:
NPB
International
Yamamoto, “a WBC champion, Olympic champion and NPB champion”, signed the eye-popping 12-year, $325 million contract on December 27, 2023, with the Dodgers. The Japanese stars dominated the 2023-24 free agency. While his countryman, Shohei Ohtani, signed a 10-year, $700 million contract which is “the richest in North American sports history”, Yoshinobu became “the highest-paid pitcher in MLB history”, joining the long list of the dominant NPB pitchers to jump to the Majors.
USA Today via Reuters
Dec 27, 2023; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Stan Kasten, President and CEO along with Brandon Gomes, executive Vice President and general Manager for the Los Angeles Dodgers, look on as starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) adjusts his hat during an introductory press conference at Dodgers Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
A day after he signed this hefty contract, reporter Noah Camras posted a tweet, which said “when he (Yamamoto) was 19 years old he came to a playoff game at Dodger Stadium and Kenta Maeda was pitching.” This was the primary reason why the young Yamamoto wanted to play in the major league at some point of his career.
After he entered the realms of MLB through this massive deal, Yamamoto said, “I will stop simply admiring the players that I have looked up to, but strive to become the player that others want to become,” in an interview.
According to the most recent information, Yamamoto is single with no indication of past or present relationships. The 2022 Japan Series champion’s social media revolves around his baseball exploits, emphasizing his one track mind towards baseball.
As they say, ‘everyone has a personal life’, Yoshi is perhaps choosing to shield this bit of his life from the public eye. This individual's dating life is a guessing game, and marriage seems as mythical as a unicorn for now.
It remains to be seen if Yoshinobu Yamamoto manages to replicate or go beyond what his compatriot, Shohei Ohtani, has achieved over the years in Major League Baseball.
Know more about Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Full Name | Yoshinobu Yamamoto |
Birth Date | August 17, 1998 |
Birth Place | Bizen, Okayama, Japan |
Height | 5-foot-10-inch |
Weight | 177 lbs |
Nationality | Japanese |
Net Worth | $40 million |
Salary | $28 million |
Current Team | Los Angeles Dodgers |
Position | Pitcher |