Yoshinobu Yamamoto Reminds Dodgers' Manger of Cy Young Winner

Roberts compares his Japanese ace to a veteran right-handed pitcher.

New Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto was the hottest commodity in free agency outside of his teammate Shohei Ohtani. The Japanese-born pitcher was rewarded handsomely with a 12-year, $325 million contract — the most money ever given a pitcher in free agency.

Although he's yet to throw a pitch in the major leagues, Yamamoto had several teams clamoring for his talents. Wednesday, the Dodgers finally got to see what they paid for.

Yamamoto threw two scoreless innings against the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers, throwing 16 of his 19 pitches for strikes. 

In the aftermath, Yamamoto has garnered comparisons to other pitchers among experts and pundits alike. Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts chimed in with a comparison to a former Dodger right-hander who could potentially have a Hall of Fame plaque someday: 

Asked if that reminds him of anyone in particular, Dave Roberts pointed to a young Zack Greinke. https://t.co/BGuZQADF9z

— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) February 28, 2024

Both pitchers' height and frame stand out in contrast. Yamamoto stands 5-foot-10, while Greinke stands at 6-2. 

Greinke made it seem as if there was no pitch he couldn't master; one could argue the same for Yamamoto. His fastball sits at 94-96 mph and touches 99 with little effort off a clean delivery. 

On top of that, he has a fast arm and commands his fastballs in all quadrants in the strike zone, similar to Greinke. His secondary pitches, like his splitter (which sits at 89-91 mph), routinely result in weak ground balls and embarrassing swings and misses:

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 96mph Fastball and 91mph Splitter, Overlay (home plate view).

😳 pic.twitter.com/EUZQ8MwExu

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) February 29, 2024

Roberts didn't get a chance to manage Greinke. He signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks in Dec. 2014, when the Dodgers hired Roberts to replace Don Mattingly. 

However, Roberts has seen Greinke pitch often from the opposing dugout, and he seems to see the same intangibles in the Dodgers' new Japanese sensation.