25-year-old Yoshinobu Yamamoto was posted by his NPB team, the Orix Buffaloes, earlier this month. While nobody knows which MLB club the pitching stud will end up on, a recent appearance at a Lakers game in LA has fans buzzing with theories.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto sittting courtside at the Lakers game last night 👀 pic.twitter.com/ISbansuVwW
— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) November 23, 2023
Yamamoto was spotted sitting courtside at the LA Lakers’ game against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night in Los Angeles.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto had some nice seats for the Los Angeles Lakers game last night
(via brossports_official / IG) pic.twitter.com/vJ0Ey8vu9N
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) November 23, 2023
Naturally, the first reaction of many was to presume that Yoshinbobu Yamamoto’s appearance in LA preludes a signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
One of baseball’s richest teams saw their starting ERA fall from 1st in MLB in 2022 to 16th in 2023.
— Caleb Truther (@calebplswin) November 23, 2023
Ya his future team put him courtside
— Dodgers fam (@Dodgerfam25) November 23, 2023
Dodgers pulling out all the stops
— RGS (@Real_RGS) November 23, 2023
Many Boston Red Sox fans claimed that, for various reasons, that Yamamoto taking in a Lakers game point to a signing in Boston.
I heard that the Red Sox bought them for him. They wanted to show how boring LA is.
— The Skippers View (@TheSkippersView) November 23, 2023
Watching lebron whose apart of Fenway sports group?!?!? Red Sox confirmed???
— Connah (@CMDRecruit) November 23, 2023
Boston wanted him to see how much of a diva LeBron is.
— Dean Ciriaco (@skippsviewdean) November 23, 2023
Yamamoto has been one of the best pitchers in NPB since making his debut with the team in 2017, the right-hander has put up a career 1.82 ERA to accompany his 70-29 record.
He's a Dodger, Yankees have no money 😂
— Miggy 😈 (@miggy422) November 23, 2023
Just because he attended that game doesn't mean he's a Dodger
— Brian Mugisha (@brianmug238392) November 23, 2023
He got to see Dallas win.
Yamamoto to Rangers confirmed.— Steely Phil (@scubasteve028) November 23, 2023
A native of Okayama Prefecture in Japan, Yoshinobu Yamamoto recently spoke of his preference for a team that already has Japanese players.
Yamamoto premiered in front of American audiences at March’s World Baseball Classic and even started the championship game that saw his country win the tournament against the USA.
While Shohei Ohtani remains the biggest free agent this offseason by a significant margin, Yamamoto is giving the former Angel a run for his money.
Although dominance in Japan does not necessarily mean he will shine in MLB, and that appears to be a risk that many teams are willing to take.
In truth, Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s candid shot at the Lakers game has little, if any, effect on where he will sign.
Fans can come up with theories, and a lot more of them can be expected between now and the ace’s eventual MLB signing.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (born August 17, 1998) is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Orix Buffaloes of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Yamamoto is a two-time Pacific League Most Valuable Player, a three-time Eiji Sawamura Award winner, and a three-time Japanese Triple Crown winner.
Pitching sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto is set to make a high-profile switch to Major League Baseball (MLB) during the offseason, after he was posted as a free agent by Japan’s Orix Buffaloes on Monday.
Yamamoto has certainly impressed during the early part of his career, being awarded the Eiji Sawamura Award – given to the top starting pitcher in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) – on three occasions.
