One of the most impressive players in Game 1 of the Tokyo Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs was starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Japanese right-hander returned to his home country and delivered a solid outing for the Dodgers.
He pitched five innings, allowing three hits and one run while striking out four. Starters rarely go deep into games early in the season, so Yamamoto throwing 72 pitches over five innings should be an encouraging sign for Los Angeles.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto Poised for Monster Season
Last offseason, Yamamoto was the prized pitching prospect coming over from Japan. Unfortunately, he struggled to stay healthy, forcing him to throw only 90.0 innings and make 18 starts. If he can stay healthy this season, he has the potential to be one of the best pitchers in baseball.
According to Chris Rose Sports, former MLB player Trevor Plouffe has high expectations for Yamamoto this season as he thinks Yamamoto can be a top 5-10 starting pitcher in baseball.
Trev believes Yamamoto has a chance to be a top 5-10 pitcher in MLB pic.twitter.com/l4vPvAEfm6
— Chris Rose Sports (@ChrisRoseSports) March 18, 2025
Several Japanese players have successfully transitioned to MLB, largely because Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) is highly competitive and prepares them well. The Dodgers have aggressively pursued top Japanese talent, paying a premium to sign them. Yamamoto landed a $325 million contract last offseason, and they signed Roki Sasaki as an amateur free agent with a $6.5 million signing bonus. Of course, Los Angeles also made history by inking Shohei Ohtani to a record-breaking 10-year, $700 million deal.
Sasaki is set to make his MLB debut on the morning of March 19, and expectations are sky-high. If he lives up to his potential, he could establish himself as a frontline starter alongside Yamamoto.
Health is Crucial
The Dodgers have struggled with injuries in recent years, and that may be the only thing that could derail their pursuit of back-to-back World Series championships. In particular, their starting pitchers have struggled to stay healthy.
SEE MORE: MLB Power Rankings
Ohtani is recovering from Tommy John surgery, Tyler Glasnow battled multiple injuries last season and threw only 134.0 innings, and newly acquired Blake Snell has only surpassed 130.0 innings two times in his nine-year career. This pitching staff is not a pillar of health and could be the Achilles heel for this team.
Anything can happen over a 162-game season, but the teams that stay the healthiest usually have the most success. Hopefully, we get a healthy second season from Yamamoto, as there is optimism that he could put up a Cy Young-caliber year.