Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a right-handed pitcher from Japan, is a free agent that the New York Mets and New York Yankees are pursuing. The top MLB free agent is being pursued by a number of other teams, but New York’s teams are in the lead and a decision may come soon.
As one of the best pitchers in baseball, Yamamoto turned 25 in August. He began his professional baseball career in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). In 2017, he made his NPB debut and quickly rose to the top of the international player rankings.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s 2023 stats are as follows: 171 innings pitched, 1.16 ERA, 176-28 K-BB, 0.86 WHIP, and 6.3 H/9.
Yamamoto, a five-time NPB All-Star and three-time MVP of the Pacific League, has long been regarded as Japan’s best pitcher. In addition to leading the Pacific League in wins, ERA, and strikeouts for three straight seasons, he has won the Golden Glove Award three times. He has also pitched a no-hitter in consecutive seasons.
Bidding on Yamamoto has now opened for MLB teams; previously, he was limited to meetings with club officials. As per Jeff Passan of ESPN, teams can now initiate talks with the free-agent sensation regarding offers. The Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, and Yankees are all very much in the running, but right now the co-favorites are the Mets and Yankees.
Although free agency in MLB has been sluggish thus far—Shohei Ohtani is the only star to sign with another team—it is anticipated to pick up steam in the next few days. The largest domino to fall, causing further signings, will be Yamamoto. Luckily, there may not be much time until a choice is made.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s career statistics are as follows: 967.2 innings pitched, 1.72 ERA, 4.56 SO/BB, 6.2 H/9, 0.3 HR/9, and 986 strikeouts.
The New York Post’s Mike Puma reports that the Mets intend to present Yamamoto with a contract offer this week. Regarding the decision-making timeline, Yamamoto is expected by New York to select his next squad by Christmas Day.
It is estimated that Yamamoto will sign one of the biggest contracts ever for an international player, valued at over $200 million, exclusive of the more than $50 million posting fee that the MLB club that signs him owes Yamamoto’s Japanese team. Next season, Yamamoto will start as one of the highest-paid starting pitchers in baseball right away.
Major repercussions will follow Yamamoto’s decision for MLB. Next season, the Mets will be back in the running for the pennant if they sign the front-line starter. For the Yankees, their most pressing need is pitching, and in order to contend for a World Series, Yamamoto is a must.
Other players will sign with Yamamoto after that. The Mets and Yankees are keeping an eye on a second Japanese starting pitcher, and Blake Snell is anticipated to sign with a National League team soon after.