Sports Media

Did Yoshinobu Yamamoto Pick The Dodgers Because Of Ohtani?

Trey Daubert / MLB / December 28, 2023

Did Yoshinobu Yamamoto Pick The Dodgers Because Of Ohtani?

Many are wondering if Shohei Ohtani had anything to do with the fact that the Dodgers also landed Yoshinobu Yamamoto. If you’re one of those people who think so, kindly imagine a meme of Dr. Evil from Austin Powers telling Scotty, no.

Yamamoto is apparently his own independent man and had his heart set on the Dodgers regardless of the fact that Ohtani also picked them.

VIA ESPN:

“I wouldn’t say he was the sole reason in deciding to come here, and if he went somewhere else, I probably would have still ended up in L.A,” Yamamoto said through his interpreter in a Wednesday news conference. “Winning now and winning into the future was probably the most important thing in making this decision.”

“Through my talks with the front office, it was really clear that they wanted to win,” Yamamoto said. “On top of that, the fact that Shohei was doing that also signaled that it wasn’t just the front office, it was also the players that bought into this winning atmosphere. That really resonated with me.”

Yamamoto also said Kenta Maeda was the first Japanese player that really resonated with him. That may have factored into the decision.

“I wouldn’t say that was the sole reason for choosing the Dodgers, but when I was 19, I did come to watch a playoff game here, and in that game Kenta Maeda did throw and it made me feel more strongly about coming overseas to play in the big leagues,” Yamamoto said.