Dodgers News: MLB Executives Overwhelmingly Pick Yoshinobu Yamamoto to Win Rookie of the Year
The Dodgers will enter the 2024 season ready to contend for the World Series, and they will be armed like they’ve never been before. After a strong offseason, L.A. is looking to win its first full-season title since 1988.
One of the big pieces added to the puzzle this winter is starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He signed a record contract with the Dodgers for 12 years and $325 million. It’s the largest total valued contract ever given out to a pitcher in MLB history.
Yamamoto is expected to slot right into the Dodgers’ rotation at the top and give them a true ace-level pitcher. But he is, in fact, a rookie by MLB standards, so he will be eligible to win the National League Rookie of the Year award this season.
MLB.com surveyed front office officials all around baseball to see who they believed would win the award. Yamamoto overwhelmingly came away as the favorite to win the award in the National League.
“He is eligible for Rookie of the Year honors, much like Kaz Sasaki and Ichiro when they won in 2000 and 2001. Given his success in Japan and the knowledge he’s going to step right into a playoff-caliber team’s rotation, it’s not a big leap to think he has a very good chance to win the NL Award in 2024.”
Per Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com
Yamamoto is generally seen as the best pitcher to come over to the United States from Japan, so the excitement around him is real. He received over 50 percent of the votes from MLB executives in the survey.
The Dodgers believe he is the real deal, and his stuff in Japan speaks to his game transitioning over well.
Not only will Yamamoto be stepping into a contender for the World Series, he will have plenty of guys on the roster to learn from. Alongside him at the top of the rotation will be right-hander Tyler Glasnow and two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who also signed with the Dodgers this offseason.
Yamamoto will have every chance to succeed with the Dodgers this coming season and beyond. The team heavily invested in him, and it’s expected to pay off very well for Los Angeles.
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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