"It was a great vibe" - Yoshinobu Yamamoto reflects on stellar home debut after horror first outing in Seoul

Yoshinobu Yamamoto made a poor debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Seoul Series last week. Playing against the San Diego Padres in South Korea, Yamamoto allowed five runs, four hits and a walk. The Dodgers lost the game against the Padres 15-11.

The Japanese star turned things around this week while making his home debut at the Dodgers stadium. He showed everyone a glimpse of his prowess which he had before joining the majors.

On Saturday, Yamamoto pitched five scoreless innings allowing two hits against the St. Louis Cardinals. In a recent SportsNet LA interview, Yamamoto was asked how he felt rebounding from his outing in South Korea. He said:

“Compared to the last start, I think I had my stuff back. I have to keep doing it. I’m looking forward to my next start.”

Despite a 35-minute delay due to rain during the game, the 25-year-old continued to maintain his form on the field, pitching both before and after the delay. The game ended with the Dodgers losing 6-5 against the Cardinals.

“It was a great vibe. The crowd was great. I really enjoyed it… I think I was more calm today (compared to his last start in South Korea),” Yamamoto said about his first outing at the Dodgers stadium.

“He’s a special talent” - Dodgers assistant pitching coach backing Yoshinobu Yamamoto to overcome challenges

Yoshinobu Yamamoto has come a long way since his shift from the Nippon professional baseball league to Major League Baseball.

He recorded a remarkable 1.82 ERA over seven seasons during his time in Japan, but his performance in 2024 spring training resulted in an 8.38 ERA.

When speaking about Yamamoto’s struggles around his first start, the Dodgers assistant pitching coach Connor McGuiness said (via ESPN):

“You hate to admit it or say it, but I think it was more nerves than anything. For him to kind of be able to get through that and experience that, that inning snowballing on him, to watch him bounce back the way he did, he’s a special talent, man.”

Yoshinobu Yamamoto inked a 12-year, $325 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, starting this season.