That will be true, as Yamamoto was evaluated as the most valuable pitcher this offseason and signed a 12-year contract with the Dodgers for 325 million dollars. He has surpassed the previous record of New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole (nine years, 324 million dollars). The Yankees also made a 10-year offer of 300 million dollars to Yamamoto to help him recruit the pitcher.
Yamamoto is considered the best starting pitcher in the history of Japanese professional baseball (NPB). For the past three consecutive years, he has won four Pacific League pitchers, the Sawamura Award and the regular season MVP. Last year, he pitched 164 innings in 23 games, posting 16 wins and six losses, an earned run average of 1.21 and 169 strikeouts, marking a career high.
In his 172 career games in seven NPB seasons, he pitched 897 innings with a 1.82 ERA and 922 strikeouts. The reason why his estimated contract size soared from $200 million in early November last year to more than $300 million was due to the relatively lack of FA top-class starters in the market.
In any case, Yamamoto is reportedly considered as the first starter of the Dodgers and is likely to be the first starter of the Seoul Series, the opener of the Major League Baseball, which will take place at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul from March 20th to 21st (Korea time). He should be considered as the first candidate for the Rookie of the Year award.
Yamamoto topped the list with 51 percent of the survey participants, followed by Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Churio with 17 percent and Cincinnati Reds third baseman Noelvi Marte with 9 percent, respectively. Reporter Jonathan Mayo, who wrote the article, explained, “There are no clear candidates in the American League (AL). It wasn’t a situation where anyone could say it was anyone in the National League, but the atmosphere definitely changed when Yamamoto signed with the Dodgers.”
Reporter Mayo said, “The questionnaire asking about the NL Rookie of the Year was conducted before Yamamoto signed with the Dodgers. Since then, the questionnaire has been conducted again, and many officials have changed their positions,” and added, “Yamamoto is not a prospect, but he is eligible for the Rookie of the Year in the Major League. Considering that he has reigned as an ace in Japan and has entered the rotation of the team that can advance to the playoffs, it is not surprising that he is highly likely to become the NL Rookie of the Year in 2024.” 스포츠토토
Before Yamamoto signed with the Dodgers, the NL Rookie of the Year game seems to have been complicated. Reporter Mayo said, “Yamamoto won a large number of votes from other candidates who got the first votes. In particular, he brought most of the votes from Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Choorio, who was ranked second. Even before his Major League debut, Choorio signed an eight-year, $82 million extension contract.”
Among pitchers, rookie Paul Skins of the Pittsburgh Pirates won a lot of votes before Yamamoto signed with the Dodgers. However, Skins’ vote dropped to 4 percent after Yamamoto came in as a candidate. However, Mayo explained, “As the first overall pick in the first round of last year’s draft, Skins received more support before Yamamoto. He will soon make his Major League debut with Pittsburgh, follow the path of Stephen Strasburg, and enter the Rookie of the Year competition.”
Among the votes cast in the NL Rookie of the Year survey, Yamamoto, Churio, Marte, Pete Crow-Armstrong (Chicago Cubs outfielder), Jordan Rowla (Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop), and Skins came in order. Other players who got votes were Dodgers infielder Michael Bush, San Francisco Giants pitcher Kyle Harrison, Cincinnati outfielder Jacob Huttervis, and Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood.
What is noteworthy is that Lee Jung-hoo, a KBO native who signed a six-year, $113 million contract with San Francisco and became widely known in the U.S., was missing. It was December 13 when Lee Jung-hoo agreed to a contract with San Francisco, and the contract between Yaamoto and the Dodgers took place on December 22. In other words, it is shocking that Lee Jung-hoo did not receive any votes because the survey was conducted again after the news that Yamamoto signed with the Dodgers was reported.
