Yoshinobu Yamamoto hasn't been at Camelback Ranch for lengthy, however he's already made a good greater identify for himself. Gavin Lux and Tyler Glasnow have been impressed by what they noticed, and phrase rapidly unfold that Yamamoto meant enterprise.
Yamamoto's distinct fastball and splitter have been significantly fascinating for the group. His four-seamer hits the higher 90s and carries lots of backspin, whereas his splitter has the flexibility to utterly confuse batters. Mix all that along with his signature slide-step supply and a smaller body, and also you've obtained fairly the story.
“I feel he can simply climb very effectively and there are not any wasted strikes in his mechanics,” Glasnow mentioned. “With a leg kick or not, I take into consideration the way in which he distributes his weight and I don't know if he wants a leg kick. He simply strikes so effectively.”
Yamamoto's model has drawn comparisons to former phenom Tim Lincecum, who made headlines for the San Francisco Giants and had an analogous approach of producing momentum along with his decrease physique.
After spending so a few years enjoying in Japan, nonetheless, Yamamoto nonetheless needed to make changes. He's frolicked getting used to the completely different ball utilized in MLB video games and can begin a little bit extra typically — each 5 days, in response to supervisor Dave Roberts — than he's used to.
“We see this 12 months as one to acclimate and determine it out,” mentioned president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. “We don't know precisely what meaning but. However we are going to associate with him to determine it out.”
Alden Gonzalez at ESPN has extra insights into Yamamoto's begin with the Dodgers.
Dodgers Hyperlinks
The Dodgers entered spring coaching with a stellar lineup, however that also hasn't earned them the highest spot within the MLB energy rankings, writes Matt Snyder at CBS Sports activities. Nearly each certainly one of their stars, particularly the pitching rotation, comes with a query mark.
Jack Harris on the Los Angeles Instances has a deep dive into a few of these query marks, detailing how Glasnow, Walker Buehler and James Paxton — amongst others — could make or break the season.
Regardless of their billion greenback signings, Gabe Lacques in USA In the present day lists the Dodgers as one of many losers of the offseason, particularly as a result of dwelling as much as this hype would be the highest of orders.
