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Yoshinobu Yamamoto 2024 Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Will He Live Up To The $325 Million Contract?
10 months agoLos Angeles Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto was the best pitcher in the NPB for several years and progressively got better into 2023. In 171 innings last season, Yamamoto posted a 1.16 ERA with 176 strikeouts and just 28 walks. That follows up a 193-inning season in 2022 in which he posted a 1.68 ERA and struck out 205 batters. The dominant performance landed him the largest contract in MLB history for a pitcher (not including Ohtani) as the Dodgers signed him to a 12-year, $325 million contract. The question now is, can he live up to that contract? The results should have no problem translating to Major League Baseball. Yamamoto features a fastball between 93 and 96 mph and has topped at 99. He has stellar command and is an excellent athlete on the mound, which we love to see with pitchers. He mixes in a beautiful curve, a cutter, and a powerful splitter. The splitter is his most used pitch. Yamamoto is one of my favorite arms to invest in, as there is a possibility he comes over and immediately becomes one of the best pitchers in the game, and his ADP does not require you to pay up significantly.
