The Yankees Can Create a Dominant Pitching Rotation
A great situation heading into the 2024 season would be to pair Yoshinobu at the top of the rotation with Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole. This past season, the 25-year-old Japanese right-hander pitched 171 innings in all competitions. With a 1.21 ERA in 164 innings thrown, he gave up two home runs and 22 earned runs while striking out 169 batters in the JPPL.
Even though opposing batters offer greater resistance and the baseball is a little heavier, his stuff should translate to the Major League Baseball without any problems. Even though Yamamoto’s ERA won’t be below 2.00, he should be close to an ace. As Cole ages and adjusts to a higher level of skill, Yamamoto may eventually emerge as the Yankees’ best pitcher.
The New York Mets and a few other teams interested in his services will, of course, have to be suppressed by the Yankees. It’s clear that the Mets are interested in Yamamoto because owner Steve Cohen flew to Japan to have a face-to-face meeting with him. While the Mets intend to rebuild over the next years, the Yankees can provide financial resources as well as the opportunity to win a World Series in 2024. In contrast.
