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
(Queens, NY) – The next great Japanese pitcher is on his way to the United States, in the form of Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Reports suggest the New York Mets could be in play, just one year after signing fellow countrymen Kodai Senga. Yamamoto, according to The Athletic, is interested in “the opportunity” associated with pitching in a big market – something New York City certainly provides.
Plus, he’s apparently open to signing with a team that already has a Japanese player on the roster – Will Sammon of The Athletic says Yamamoto wouldn’t mind sharing the stage in that fashion.
Plus, Senga has been recruiting Yamamoto – and made it clear when speaking to media outlets in Japan he’d like to see him sign with the Mets. Senga also reportedly expressed a desire to see Yamamoto signed in discussing the issue with Mets management.
The Mets will have competition if they choose to pursue Yamamoto – the San Francisco Giants already sent their scouts to evaluate him in person in Japan. The Yankees, who have an extensive history of signing Japanese players to big contracts (often with success) are also a strong contender.
But the New York Mets may arguably be the most in need of his services, given Senga is more or less the only guaranteed for the starting rotation – other than veteran lefty Jose Quintana.
