Japanese right-handed pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto is the most coveted player available in MLB free agency. Amid swirling MLB rumors about contract offers and reports of a bidding war between the New York Yankees and New York Mets, there appears to be one clear favorite for the heralded ace.
The 25-year-old pitcher drew the attention of MLB scouts and executives all year in Nippon Professional Baseball. With every MLB club monitoring Yamamoto months ahead of being posted for bidding, the young righty delivered one of the best seasons in his career.
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto stats 2023: 1.16 ERA, 176-28 K-BB, 0.86 WHIP, 6.3 H/9 in 171 innings pitched
Related: New York Mets insider reveals when Yoshinobu Yamamoto will choose team
In Japan, Yamamoto won A three-time Pacific League MVP three times, made the NPB All-Star team five times and has been the game’s best pitcher for the last four years. He threw no-hitters in consecutive seasons, including this season in front of MLB executives, and led the league in wins, ERA and strikeouts for three consecutive years.
While MLB teams have until Jan. 4 to sign Yamamoto, his free-agency process isn’t expected to last through December. The highly-coveted starter is the big domino in MLB free agency, with players like Blake Snell waiting for him to sign.
The Yankees, Mets, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox will all submit offers to Yamamoto in the coming days. However, there is one club that a majority of MLB teams believe will come out on top.
Appearing on MLB Network, insider Jon Morosi reported that the Yankees are “viewed by many” as the favorites to land Yamamoto in free agency.
“The Yankees are viewed by many as the frontrunner and I still think that is the case.”
Jon Morosi on the MLB team favored to sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Related: New York Yankees’ backup plan to Yoshinobu Yamamoto revealed
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto career stats: 986 strikeouts, 0.91 WHIP, 6.2 H/9, 0.3 HR/9, 4.56 SO/BB, 1.72 ERA in 967.2 innings pitched
The Yankees being favored isn’t all too surprising based on reporting covering the situation. If the Mets don’t land Yamamoto, the front office is planning the next steps that would take the team in a more cost-effective direction. As for the Yankees, they have intended to be aggressive and that includes taking a unique approach to roster construction.
While the Yankees being heavily favored to land Yamamoto doesn’t necessarily guarantee they’ll land him, many around the league felt just as certain that the Dodgers would sign Shohei Ohtani and that belief is shared regarding Blake Snell’s landing spot. Fortunately, it won’t be long until a decision is made.
