The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs showdown in Game 1 of the Tokyo Series on Monday will pit two Japanese aces against each other as Yoshinobu Yamamoto will be up against Shota Imanaga.
Both Yamamoto and Imanaga arrived in the major league ahead of the 2024 season and displayed great control in their rookie year with the former winning the World Series in his first MLB season.
While a lot of eyes will be on three-time MVP and Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani, former Mets catcher turned analyst Anthony Recker laid down his expectations from the Japanese pitchers on MLB Network. He said:
"Imanaga came out of the gate and I feel like he didn't allow a run for what 10 starts or so it was incredible. Once Yamamoto got his feet underneath, got healthy and established himself, we saw his upside and what he's capable of, and this guy is an absolute ace out there on the mound.
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"So you've got two guys very deserving of Opening Day starts, facing off against each other over there in Tokyo. It's going to be fireworks and good luck to these lineups trying to battle through that in their first game of the season."
This isn't the first time Yoshinobu Yamamoto will be up against Shota Imanaga as the Japanese teammates faced each other during the regular season last year and had several encounters during their NPB stint before joining MLB.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto excited on pitching as a Dodger in Japan
While Shota Imanaga made an instant impact for the Cubs, establishing himself as a strong contender for the Rookie of the Year award, Yoshinobu Yamamoto initially struggled with control and injuries.
However, as Recker mentioned, Yamamoto grew with each performance, especially during the postseason. His Game 2 performance in the World Series against the New York Yankees stood out as he conceded just one hit in six and one-third innings.
The Dodgers ace is excited on the prospect of pitching in front of his home fans for the first time since singing for the NL West team.
“Family, friends, they’ve seen me play back in Japan a bunch of times with the full stadium and everything, but this is, of course, different,” Yamamoto said through a translator. This is almost like the first time for them to watch me play as a Dodger … and I’m looking forward to it.”
The Dodgers and Cubs will start their MLB season on Monday at the Tokyo Dome, followed by Game 2 at the same venue a day later before returning to the States to play the remaining stretch of their Spring Training games.
