"The vibe of the team and the clubhouse is amazing" - Yoshinobu Yamamoto discusses first MLB spring training with Dodgers

Yoshinobu Yamamoto completed a blockbuster move to the LA Dodgers from the NPB (Orix Buffaloes) this offseason after signing the biggest hitting contract in the history of the big leagues without having thrown a single pitch in the MLB.

With a staggering $325 million spread over 12 years, the contract surpassed the biggest pitching deal ever signed in the MLB by $1 million, which was held by NY Yankees Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole.

The Dodgers' pitchers and catchers reported to spring training ahead of their Cactus League games on Friday to start with their preparations for contesting for the Fall Classic title as the favorites, both on paper and on the field.

Sportsnet LA interviewed Yamamoto, asking the Japanese ace about his first spring training experience in the big leagues.

Yamamoto was seen going about his routine at the Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona, alongside his new Dodgers teammates. He said about the experience (as per his interpretor):

"The vibe of the team and the clubhouse is amazing."

About the changes he observed in the spring training of the MLB compared to his routines with the Buffaloes in the NPB, Yoshinobu Yamamoto added:

"In Japan its more like a tight schedule. Its more meticulously planned out and here he feels a little bit more like flexibility with the things to do in his routine and the daily things."

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LA Dodgers plan on giving Yoshinobu Yamamoto his debut start against Padres in Seoul Series

As the Dodger nation awaits to watch their two newly sought-after Japanese acquisitions take to the field in 2024, two-way ace Shohei Ohtani will not be able to pitch for the entirety of the 2024 MLB season,

However, his fellow Japanese teammate, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, will be in line to showcase his pitching arsenal in the first regular-season series for the LA Dodgers against the San Diego Padres in the Seoul Series.

"The Dodgers plan for Yamamoto to start a game in their season-opening, two-game series against the San Diego Padres in South Korea, according to people familiar with the situation who spoke under the condition of anonymity." - Dylan Hernandez via Los Angeles Times

"Yamamoto will prepare for the game in a looser environment than what he experienced in Japan, one that will allow him to better incorporate his unorthodox training methods," he added.

The Korea Series starts on Mar. 20 and ends on Mar. 21. In the starting lineup, Paxton, Tyler Glasnow, Bobby Miller, and Emmet Sheehan will likely join Yoshinobu Yamamoto heading into the 2024 MLB season.