The New York Mets are eyeing one of Nippon Professional Baseball’s top starting pitchers.
In anticipation of the Mets’ rotation plans for the 2024 season, New York sports media outlet SNY reported on Nov. 18 (KST) that the Mets are interested in Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 25, a right-handed starter for the Nippon Professional Baseball Orix Buffaloes.
According to the outlet, general manager Billy Eppler personally traveled to Japan this year to watch Yamamoto throw. The fact that the general manager personally checked him out means there is a lot of interest.
Yamamoto is one of the best pitchers in Nippon Professional Baseball. In his 162-game Nippon Professional Baseball career, he has a 63-26 record with a 1.93 ERA. This season, he’s cruised to a 9-3 record with a 1.74 ERA in 13 games and 93 1/3 innings pitched.먹튀검증
The two-time Pacific League MVP, Sawamura Award winner, and Triple Crown winner led the Pacific League in ERA three times (2019 2021 2022) and was a four-time All-Star.
He represented Japan in the 2019 Premier12, 2021 Tokyo Olympics, and 2023 World Baseball Classic, all of which he won. In 2022, he helped the Orix win the Japan Series.
SNY described Yamamoto as “a Chris Bassett with a faster fastball,” and projected him as a two- or three-starter in the major leagues.
He could get more money than Senga Kodai, who just signed a five-year, $75 million deal with the Mets.
Eppler is no stranger to Japanese players. He brought in Shohei Ohtani as general manager of the Los Angeles Angels, and he brought in Senga as general manager of the Mets.
Eppler’s history could help the Mets gain an advantage in the Yamamoto bidding war, according to SNY.