Baseball

Japanese Ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto Headed to MLB after His Orix Club Agrees to Transfer

AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File
Japan’s Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivers a pitch during the fifth inning of a World Baseball Classic game against Mexico on March 20, 2023, in Miami.

14:07 JST, November 6, 2023

TOKYO (AP) — Yoshinobu Yamamoto will be allowed to move to a Major League Baseball team under the player posting system, the Orix Buffaloes said Sunday after it lost Game 7 of the Japan Series to the Hanshin Tigers.

The ace pitcher has been widely reported ready to move to MLB and is expected to be a top target.

I’d like to thank my team for accepting my request, Yamamoto was quoted by Japan’s Kyodo news agency as saying after Orix lost 7-1 in the Games 7 on Sunday.

Yamamoto pitched two games during the Japan Series — the World Series equivalent for Japanese baseball. He allowed seven earned runs in Game 1 but came back in Game 6 and struck out 14 — a series record.

The 25-year-old right-handed pitcher has a 70-29 record in Japanese baseball. His trademark is his wide assortment of breaking pitches, excellent command, and a fastball in the mid-90 mph range.

He was 16-6 this season with a 1.21 ERA.. He struck out 169 in 164 innings.