Yoshinobu Yamamoto talks coming home to Japan wearing Los Angeles Dodgers blue

Yamamoto is headed into his second season with the Dodgers after a somewhat whirlwind rookie year. Just before the 2024 season, he signed a 12-year, $325 million deal with the team, setting expectations high. But in his debut at the season opener against the San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea, he gave up five runs and was pulled after just one inning. As the season went on, Yamamoto found his stride. And despite dealing with a midyear injury, he ended with a stunning performance in Game 2 of the World Series against the New York Yankees, in which he allowed a single hit across six and one-third innings. It helped the Dodgers clinch the championship. 

While much has been made of Yamamoto’s move from the top Japanese league to MLB, less has been discussed about his adjustment to life in the U.S. The pitcher said that transition was no walk in the park.

“It was a challenging time, and I sometimes felt like I was still a child and needed all this help from the people around me,” Yamamoto said, adding that it was a period of major upheaval in which everything was new to him and he sometimes felt “uncertain.”

“Thanks to the support system that was around me, I was able to get through it,” he said. 

Nowadays, things are different. Yamamoto isn’t the new kid anymore, and, in many ways, Roki Sasaki, a fellow Japanese pitcher who signed with the Dodgers this offseason after a highly competitive free agency, is in the same position he once was. Yamamoto said he’s got his back. 

“Roki doesn’t necessarily need my mentorship or help, because he’s really independent, and then he’s doing just fine,” Yamamoto said. “However, I know what might be ahead of him, and I know what I went through and I needed some help along the line. So I will always be available if he needs some help.” 

He’s also going into this year with a little added emotional strength. Yamamoto adopted a shelter dog while he was on the injured list last year and, he said, it’s become an important part of his life. He even brought his pal along for spring training in Arizona. 

“He has become a huge mental support, a healing existence,” Yamamoto said.

As Yamamoto and the Dodgers start another season, the pitcher said he’s got one thing on his mind. 

“I was fortunate enough to win the World Series championship in my rookie year. And I’ve got so many great experiences,” he said. “I’ll take all those experiences and use that as I move forward and then try to win another World Series championship.”