Dodgers News: Freddie Freeman Believes Opponents Will Have Tough Time Adjusting to Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Freddie Freeman broke in with the Atlanta Braves in 2010, and he has been one of baseball’s better hitters during his career. He is as consistent as they come in the major leagues, but even the best players can be fooled every once in a while.

Freeman took part in a live batting practice over the weekend against new Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto and was blown away. He praised the rookie right-hander for what he did on the mound, calling it incredible.

“I went up to him and said, ‘Please say incredible in Japanese,’” Freeman recalled. “Because that was incredible.”

Per Freddie Freeman via The Athletic

With Freeman never really seeing Yamamoto up close until this weekend, he was shocked at the skillset he possesses. He believes opponents will have a tough time adjusting to what Yamamoto does on the mound.

“It’s things you’re not used to facing. Then for him to put the ball where he wants and hit any quadrant. There’s just a lot of moving parts that a lot of guys are going to have trouble early on getting used to that.”

— Freddie Freeman via The Athletic

This is on point with what we’ve heard about Yamamoto, which is a great sign for the Dodgers. He uses his different pitch mix, combined with his unusual delivery, to confuse hitters. After all his success in Japan, Yamamoto seems to have not lost a step in his first spring training camp in the United States.

While it might be an adjustment for him to come to the big leagues, Yamamoto has the talent needed to make it a smooth transition. The Dodgers gave him a record contract, so they aren’t too worried about it.

“I was really happy to throw in front of this many people because I hadn’t done it. I was happy.”

— Yoshinobu Yamamoto via The Athletic

He seems to be fitting in well so far with his new team. Having Shohei Ohtani around him likely helps, but Yamamoto is comfortable in this environment. He wants to dominate on the mound, and his showing over the weekend was just a glimpse of what is to come.

Photo Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports

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