Aug 4, 2021; Yokohama, Japan; Team Japan pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (17) reacts 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
Olympics: Baseball-Men Semifinal – JPN-KOR
(New York, NY) – To date, the New York Mets best starting pitcher has been Kodai Senga.
The first-year player who starred in Japan’s NPB has put together a nice season for the Amazins, even while his club has stumbled. Now, the word is the Mets are eyeing another Japanese pitcher for next season.
According to Andy Martino of SNY, Mets GM Billy Eppler traveled to Japan earlier this year to watch 25-year-old right hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitch.
Although he doesn’t have a pitch with an exotic nickname like Senga’s “ghost fork,” Yamamoto does feature a 95 mile per hour fastball and several effective breaking pitches.
Martino’s reporting suggests Eppler’s deep connections in Japan, and his strong reputation in the country, could help the Mets if they push to sign Yamamoto. The four-time NPB All-Star is also a two-time MVP and two-time winner of Japan’s version of the Cy Young award.
Yamamoto doesn’t have the height of a typical front-line pitcher at 5’10, but scouts predict he could be an ace in MLB. Some say his floor is that of a mid-rotation starter.
Unlike Senga, Yamamoto won’t be a true free agent this offseason and would only be available if his team, the Orix Buffaloes, decides to post him.
That would also mean any MLB team signing him would have to pay Orix a fee, in addition to whatever it takes to sign Yamamoto.
