Rosenthal: How does Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s free agency compare to that of other Japanese pitchers?

Rosenthal: How does Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s free agency compare to that of other Japanese pitchers?

Because of recent events, it seems like the chase of Yoshinobu Yamamoto was the most intense recruiting of a Japanese pitcher we’ve seen.

There are a lot of big-market teams interested in Yamamoto, which makes his free agency stand out.

But the buzz around the right-hander isn’t that different from what happened with Daisuke Matsuzaka over the offseason in 2006–07, Yu Darvish during the 2011–12 season, and Masahiro Tanaka over the 2013–14 season. Also, Shohei Ohtani from 2017–18.

This offseason, a big-name Japanese star pitcher is likely to hit the market. He or she will have a huge effect on the pitching staff of any MLB team right away.

No, I’m not talking about Shohei Ohtani, the unicorn, who might not be able to pitch next year because he hurt his UCL. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is the starter. He is like Pedro Martinez in baseball.

He threw his second no-hitter in the last two years last week. Since the Nippon Professional Baseball league split into two parts in 1950, he was the first pitcher to throw back-to-back no-hitters. This was the 100th no-hitter in NPB history.

Even though Yamamoto is only 25, he is already one of the most honored pitchers in Japanese baseball history. He has won the Sawamura Award as well as the NPB pitching triple crown for the past two years.

The ridiculously low ERA for Yamamoto’s career is 1.84, and he’s been even better this season, with a 1.26 ERA in 143 innings and a 14-5 record.

He has a good chance of winning his third straight Sawamura Award and maybe even his third straight NPB throwing triple crown.

Yamamoto is only 5 feet 10 inches tall and 176 pounds, but don’t let him dupe you. He has a high 90s fastball, great control over several plus off-speed pitches, and a very advanced feel for pitching, a lot like Pedro Martinez.

Yamamoto’s special curveball, which I called his “Yo-Yo” curve, is my favorite pitch of his. The name “Yo-Yo” comes from the way Yamamoto throws his curveball, which looks a lot like a toy. The pitch is very odd and works really well.

But Yamamoto’s work isn’t just the world’s most unique surprise. With a very simple windup, he can throw a fastball that goes as fast as 99 mph. The ball just jumps out of his hand.

He’s the free agent pitcher that everyone wants this summer. Still, a lot of baseball fans have never even heard of him, nor have they seen him throw. His name is Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He’ll be in the big leagues next year. We still don’t know where.

The right-handed 25-year-old has ruled the Japan Pacific League, especially over the last three years, when he won 18, 15, and 16 games and had an earned run average of 1.39, 1.68, and 1.16.

Because he was so good, the Pacific League named him MVP twice and gave him three straight awards as the league’s best reliever.

As the 2024 Major League Baseball time starts, Yoshinobu Yamamoto has become the most sought-after free agent.

Both the Mets and the Yankees want to get the 25-year-old right-hander in Japan very badly. The fact that the Mets need a top-notch starting pitcher makes their desire to sign Yamamoto even stronger.

A lot of big teams in the league, like the Dodgers, Giants, Red Sox, Cubs, while Phillies, are likely to bid on Yamamoto. However, the two New York teams are likely to be near the top of the list.

In his first three years as owner of the Mets, the man has shown that he is willing to spend money. A record $353 million salary going into the 2023 season is proof of this. Cohen doesn’t skimp when it pertains to getting his guy.

Adam Jones was recognized at Camden Yards last weekend, a week after he retired from major league baseball.

Jones additionally played for Baltimore for 11 years and was picked for five All-Star teams. He also won gold in the prestigious World Baseball Classic.

Jones, 38, also knows a lot about the game inside and out because he played for the Orix Buffaloes in Nippon Professional Baseball for two years.

Jones was right when he said that Masataka Yoshida, a former friend of Jones’s with the Buffaloes, would have a great first season at the Red Sox.

Jones is also sure that Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the best pitcher for Orix, will become a star right away in the Major Leagues when he is sent to MLB teams during the summer.