LOS ANGELES — Just over six years after Yoshinobu Yamamoto watched a playoff recreation from the raucous Dodger Stadium stands and determined he completely needed to play within the main leagues sooner or later, the right-hander pulled on his white No. 18 jersey and a blue cap within the heart area pavilion.

The consensus greatest pitcher exterior North America reached one among his objectives Wednesday, becoming a member of the Dodgers on a 12-year contract that’s reportedly the most important and longest ever assured to a significant league pitcher.

But the 25-year-old ace of Japan‘s top league won’t be glad with out many possibilities to expertise the Los Angeles playoff environment he absorbed as a young person watching Kenta Maeda on the mound at Chavez Ravine in 2017.

While he performs alongside Shohei Ohtani together with his star-studded new membership, Yamamoto additionally intends to encourage any dreaming kids within the Dodger Stadium stands.

“From today moving forward, I promise to all the fans of LA that I will focus my everything to become a better player, and to become a world champion as a member of the Dodgers,” Yamamoto mentioned by means of his interpreter. “I will stop simply admiring the players that I have looked up to, but rather strive to become the player that others want to become.”

Yamamoto has been Japan’s most dominant pitcher over the previous few seasons, and he was coveted by groups throughout the majors after he elected to go away the Orix Buffaloes this offseason.

PHOTOS: Yoshinobu Yamamoto joins the Los Angeles Dodgers, vows to compete for championships alongside Ohtani

The big-budget, pitching-poor Dodgers landed Yamamoto to cap their prolific winter spending spree after signing two-way AL MVP Ohtani to a $700 million contract and inking right-hander Tyler Glasnow to a $136.5 million, five-year deal after his acquisition from Tampa Bay.

“This has been a monumental offseason for all of us,” supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned. “It’s a privilege to be here, but I don’t think the expectations have changed. The roster has been bolstered with some good young players, but our goal is always to compete for championships.”

The Dodgers have large expectations for Yamamoto, a 5-foot-10 right-hander with the potential to turn out to be a significant league ace after a stellar begin to his profession in Japan. The Dodgers didn’t disclose the worth of the deal, however a number of media experiences have tagged it at $325 million.

After profitable three straight Most Valuable Player awards within the Nippon Pacific League, Yamamoto appears greater than prepared to begin his new chapter. Showcasing a assured smile all through his first public look in Los Angeles, Yamamoto opened his information convention by talking in English.

“I am beyond ecstatic to become a member of this historic franchise,” Yamamoto mentioned. “I cannot express how much it means to be to be able to call Los Angeles my new home.”

Yamamoto went 16-6 with a 1.21 ERA whereas putting out 169 and strolling simply 28 this 12 months, profitable the Japanese pitching triple crown by main the league in wins, strikeouts and ERA. His six-pitch repertoire features a reliable splitter, an efficient four-seam fastball and a vicious curveball, all thrown with wonderful command.

He has thrown two no-hitters previously two years, and he has a profession 1.72 ERA. Yamamoto is exceptionally good at limiting his opponents’ energy, permitting simply 36 homers over his seven seasons in Japan - together with two in 164 innings final season.

While the Yankees and the Mets had been amongst a number of golf equipment severely pursuing Yamamoto this month, he admits he had robust emotions in regards to the Dodgers even earlier than the free company course of started. He mentioned Los Angeles‘ addition of Ohtani helped his determination, however solely as a result of it made this perennial contender a fair higher group.

“Their success as a winning franchise was the most important thing to me,” Yamamoto mentioned.

The Dodgers courted Yamamoto with the total pressure of their deep assets and international ambitions, but in addition by means of private interactions with Roberts and the group’s present core, together with Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Bobby Miller and Ohtani.

“(I could) feel that clubhouse atmosphere even within the meeting, and that really resonated as well,” Yamamoto mentioned.

Los Angeles‘ three new gamers are becoming a member of one of the crucial constant winners in current main league historical past. Los Angeles has had 13 straight profitable seasons, made 11 consecutive playoff appearances and gained a minimum of 100 video games in 5 of the previous six full main league campaigns, profitable three NL pennants and the 2020 World Series title.

But the Dodgers had been in vital want of pitching after a dismal collection of accidents and setbacks this season for a roster that also by some means gained 100 video games on the shoulders of Betts and Freeman.

Injury-plagued Clayton Kershaw was the one beginning pitcher who threw greater than 125 innings or posted a qualifying ERA decrease than 3.75 for the Dodgers, who had been swept out of the division collection by eventual NL champion Arizona.

The contracts given out by the Dodgers to Ohtani, Yamamoto and Glasnow are probably price properly over $1.1 billion, and Los Angeles additionally will owe a posting price round $50 million for signing Yamamoto. But the 2 Japanese stars generate vital worldwide income that can offset the price of the offers for a group that's already one of many majors’ richest with its native tv deal and bountiful gate income from the very best attendance in MLB in each full season since 2012.

Yamamoto’s English has strengthened even throughout his transient time in North America this month, in keeping with his agent, Joel Wolfe, who famous that Yamamoto’s sister is an English trainer. Roberts, who was born in Japan, intends to enhance his personal communication expertise on this journey together with his two new stars.

“(Yamamoto) is going to challenge me on my Japanese, and I’m going to challenge him on his English, and hopefully we’ll meet somewhere in the middle,” Roberts mentioned with a smile.

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