Yamamoto’s Journey Toward Greatness

TORONTO – Following the Dodgers’ World Series victory last year, Yoshinobu Yamamoto felt a sense of pride when Shohei Ohtani named him the top pitcher globally. It was nice to hear, but deep down, Yamamoto was a bit skeptical.

“I’ve never really seen myself that way,” he admitted in Japanese.

He’s aware he hasn’t reached his desired level yet.

Yamamoto has frequently expressed his aspiration to live up to Ohtani’s compliment, though he understands there are some immediate goals he needs to tackle before striving for that lofty title.

After his recent performances, it looks like his next innings will probably come around seven.

If his standout performance against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Center was a sign of him stepping into the limelight, his return to this venue felt more like an update on his progress.

During the fifth inning of the Dodgers’ 4-1 victory on Tuesday, he illustrated just how close he is to mastering his craft. The “1 plus” mentioned symbolizes the final stretch he must cover to reach his objectives.

This was the first time Yamamoto pitched into the seventh inning this season, finishing the game with no outs and a runner on first. If he can learn to close out innings like that consistently, he believes he can hit the 200-inning mark by the end of the regular season.

“I think concentrating on each start will help us get to that number,” he said.

If he can achieve that, he’ll be in a stronger position to vie for the Cy Young Award, which is one of his goals, furthering his quest to be recognized as the top pitcher in the league.

It’s a step-by-step journey for him.

This is his mindset.

In his latest outing, he allowed just one run over six innings, improving his record to 2-1 and lowering his ERA to 2.50.

Yamamoto was nearly untouchable until the fifth, giving up only a second-inning hit to Jesus Sanchez, which, after a misplay by right fielder Kyle Tucker, became a double.

“He was in control the entire time,” praised manager Dave Roberts.

If it weren’t for that mishap, Yamamoto might have pulled off a no-hitter, but he has been close to that mark in each of his starts so far.

Former reporters from the Orix Buffaloes recalled that during his time in Japan, it felt like history was always on the brink whenever he was on the mound, and he achieved two no-hitters there.

Now, he’s facing stronger competition and pitching more frequently. While last year he pitched with six days off between starts, he’s now been added to the rotation with one fewer day of rest.

Additionally, he’s pitching deeper into games. In his first three outings, he logged 18 innings, compared to 16 innings in his first three starts the previous season. Last year, he wrapped up with just under six innings per start over 30 games, totaling 173 2/3 innings. Those extra innings he’s accruing can make a significant difference over the long haul.

Yamamoto is confident he’ll grow stronger as the season rolls on, thanks to a tailored offseason training program.

Osamu Yada, his long-time trainer, shared that Yamamoto pushed himself hard during the winter. He trained six hours a day, six days a week, under Yada’s guidance, a routine they’ve maintained since his teenage years. This rigorous training sometimes causes him to experience slower starts at the beginning of the season.

Yada anticipates that Yamamoto will hit his peak condition by the end of summer, marking another pivotal step in his career.