Yoshinobu Yamamoto Says “I was able to come this far because of Orix”; Press Conference Before Moving to Dodgers

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:01 JST, December 30, 2023

OSAKA – Orix Buffaloes pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who has decided to move to the Los Angeles Dodgers, expressed his gratitude to Orix Buffaloes at a press conference in Osaka City on Saturday. “I played for the Orix for seven years and grew a lot. Because of the Orix, I was able to come this far,” he said.

Yamamoto, 25, explained that the reason he decided to move to the Dodgers was because he “just wanted to win, and I chose a team that was close to that.”

As for being on the same team as Shohei Ohtani, 29, Yamamoto said: “He is the best player in the world. My baseball career is still young, so being able to play with him will help me grow.”