Dodgers News: Former MLB Player in NPB Raves About Yoshinobu Yamamoto, ‘I Felt Overmatched Against Him’

The Dodgers officially introduced Japanese RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Wednesday, a move that has been met with all sorts of optimism around the industry. L.A. officially landed their big target and added a game-changer to their starting rotation.

Former MLB outfielder Lewis Brinson gave some thoughts about Yamamoto after facing him while over in the NPB. Brinson spent six seasons in the big leagues, playing for the Miami Marlins and San Francisco Giants.

He wished MLB teams the best of luck facing off against the Japanese right-hander this coming season.

“Whatever team, person that’s gonna face him next year, good luck.”

Yamamoto is regarded by many in the industry as the best pitcher to come over from Japan, which is why he was so highly coveted in free agency. Despite not throwing a single pitch in the big leagues, he received the largest contract ever for a pitcher in total value and years.

This tells us all we need to know about Yamamoto and what clubs think of him.

“He is gonna be a problem over here,” Brinson said. “He is going to be an issue.”

Brinson believes that Yamamoto will adjust very easily to the United States, and said he’s one of the few guys he couldn’t compete with in Japan.

“I felt overmatched against him,” Brinson said. “That was the only guy over there in a while that I felt overmatched.”

Yamamoto’s signing with the Dodgers was major news because it helped address the issues in the starting rotation. He was dominant during his time in the NPB, posting an ERA of 1.72 over seven seasons.

“He is disgusting,” Brinson said. “He is nothing to be messed with. He is the real deal. He is the truth.”

The Dodgers are banking on Yamamoto being a dominant front-line ace for years to come. Being only 25 years old, Yamamoto has plenty of time to continue growing his game and learning from the L.A. pitching staff.

If Yamamoto can live up to even half of what many expect him to be in the league, the Dodgers’ signing will be seen as a success. But it feels like a good possibility he does become the ace-level pitcher many believe he can be, and L.A. will have gotten a steal.

Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

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