Yoshinobu Yamamoto was born on August 17, 1998, in Bizen, Okayama, Japan. His journey from an aspiring baseball player to being an MLB All-Star is a perfect storyline for a sports biopic. The 27-year-old pitcher entered the MLB (Major League Baseball) after dominating Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). For the uninitiated, Yamamoto started his professional baseball career with the Orix Buffaloes in 2017 and won three consecutive Pacific League MVPs and Eiji Sawamura Awards.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s journey from NPB stardom to MLB All-Star: Dominating Japan’s Orix Buffaloes to joining the Los Angeles Dodgers on a record fee
Over the seven seasons Yoshinobu Yamamoto spent in Japan, he registered a remarkable 70-29 record, 922 strikeouts, and a 1.82 ERA. He had an absolute dominance in NPB with Orix Buffaloes, which he showcased in the 2022 Japan Series championship, when he won the Japan Series Most Valuable Player Award. Courtesy of his growing aura in the NPB, Yamamoto caught the attention of the major MLB team, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
