Yoshinobu Yamamoto built up a reputation of being one of the greatest pitching talents to ever come out of Japan. His pitchability — the ability to command multiple pitches, throw strikes with consistency and navigate (in his case dominate) a lineup — helped make him a three-time Eiji Sawamura Award winner and three-time Pacific League MVP in the Nippon Professional Baseball League.
His Major League debut on Thursday in Seoul, South Korea was just another on the list of highly anticipated moments for the Dodgers early in 2024.