Dodgers News: Yoshinobu Yamamoto Reveals More About Unique Workout Regimen
Dodgers rookie right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto has some of the more unique workout regiments in baseball. He doesn’t lift weights like most other pitchers but instead uses javelins to train.
He also used wooden blocks, yoga mats and small soccer balls under the supervision of his personal trainer. It’s a different way to train, but it has worked for him well.
Yamamoto was a three-time MVP in Japan, helping to earn him his massive 12-year, $325 million contract from the Dodgers this offseason. Speaking through his interpreter, the right-hander opened up about his workout regimen, giving more insight into why he does it.
“That was something I started seven years ago as I got into the professional world. I needed to do something to develop my mechanics in general.”
— Yoshinobu Yamamoto, via the Orange County Register
The special techniques have been noted all across the league. Some of Yamamoto’s teammates have even begun to take note. Los Angeles star Mookie Betts is one of the few who has taken an interest in learning the routines.
“If it’s good enough for him – it’s working for him. I’ve got nine years (left on his contract with the Dodgers). I’ve got to be the best Mookie I can be for nine years. Why wouldn’t I be open to something that I deem as something that will help me be the best I can be for the next nine years?”
— Mookie Betts, via the Orange County Register
If anything, these methods can be used as an alternative for Betts and others to combine with their normal training. Yamamoto has seen great success over the years from his workouts, so it can’t hurt to share the knowledge.
However, with the big contract Los Angeles gave him comes major pressure to succeed. Yamamoto’s major league debut didn’t do as planned, as he was pulled from the game after allowing five runs in one inning.
Yamamoto will need to figure out how to navigate a major league lineup quickly, but he does have the skillset to make it happen. The Dodgers weren’t the only team heavily vying for his services this winter, so he is seen around the league as a productive player. All he needs to do now is show out on the field and let his game do the talking.
Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? Subscribe and hit that notification bell to stay up to date on all the latest Dodgers news, rumors, interviews, livestreams, and more!
