Yoshinobu Yamamoto recorded the 100th win of his nine-year professional career on Saturday night, a milestone reached during the Los Angeles Dodgers' 4-3 victory against the New York Mets at Citi Field. The win, which includes games pitched in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), was acknowledged by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts as significant.
Yamamoto, pitching below his typical standard, struggled with control and a high pitch count, which limited him to six innings. Despite these challenges, he allowed only one run. "I really think it’s a sign of growth to be able to hold the opponent to a run over six innings when I’m throwing like that," Yamamoto said through an interpreter. Roberts, while initially unaware of the milestone, acknowledged its importance for the 27-year-old pitcher.
Career Trajectory
Yamamoto's journey to this achievement began as a fourth-round pick out of high school in the NPB draft. He was promoted to the Orix Buffaloes' top team at age 19. Early in his career, he adjusted his pitching delivery to mitigate concerns about his physique withstanding the rigors of professional baseball, a change that initially met resistance from the Buffaloes organization. He went on to become a three-time Pacific League MVP.
His transition to Major League Baseball with the Dodgers was marked by a shoulder injury that sidelined him for three months during his rookie year. He has since become a two-time MLB All-Star and a World Series MVP. Yamamoto has accumulated 30 wins in MLB, with 11 victories this season. He currently leads the majors with 16 quality starts.
Performance Against the Mets
Against the Mets, Yamamoto faced precarious situations. In the first inning, he struck out Luis Robert Jr. with runners on first and second. Later, in the third inning, he retired Bo Bichette and Carson Benge consecutively with runners on base and one out. The Mets managed to score one run in the fifth inning when Bichette hit a single, but Yamamoto prevented further damage.
Roberts described Yamamoto's outing as "good, not great," noting issues with fastball command and his split-finger pitch. "There were some bad walks in there," Roberts commented. "He wasn’t as efficient as he has been."
Yamamoto was 70-29 over seven NPB seasons and is now 30-16 in MLB, including an 11-6 record this year. He expressed optimism about reaching his next century of wins more quickly, anticipating that he will remain a consistent starter and perform well year after year.