Emerging Japanese pitching sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto achieved his second career no-hitter on Saturday while playing for the Orix Buffaloes in the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball. New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman and his deputy Omar Minaya were in the ballpark witnessing the performance in person.
The Yakyu Cosmopolitan, a Japanese baseball publication, shared a screenshot on its X account showing Cashman in Chiba, Japan, applauding as Yamamoto acknowledged the crowd.
As previously reported by Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman of The Post, it is anticipated that Yamamoto will be made available for posting this winter.
Yamamoto’s second no-hitter
In his latest outing, Yamamoto, now boasting a 14-5 record for the year, struck out eight, walked one, and hit one batter, delivering 102 pitches in a 4-0 victory against the Chiba Lotte Marines. He presents the kind of pitching talent that could be a valuable addition to the Yankees, especially considering their underperforming rotation, which enters 2024 with numerous uncertainties outside of ace Gerrit Cole.
Yamamoto mentioned during the postgame press meet that he had been nervous right up until the last batter, and he expressed relief afterward. This was reported by The Mainichi newspaper.
Yamamoto’s no-hitter marked a significant milestone as it was the 100th no-hitter in the history of the league. This achievement also marked his second no-hitter in just two seasons, with his previous one taking place in June 2022 against the Saitama Seibu Lions. As he secured the final out on Saturday, resulting in a groundout to second base, his Orix teammates rushed out of the dugout to douse him with water, initiating a jubilant celebration.
Yamamoto stated that he felt good pitching in the ninth inning due to the enthusiastic cheering from the crowd.
MLB teams eye the Japanese ace
Toward the end of August, Yamamoto attracted the attention of numerous MLB teams, with at least 10 of them in attendance to scout him. These teams included the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Dodgers, Cubs, Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Rangers, Phillies, and Tigers, as reported by Heyman.
Yamamoto’s skills were also on display when he contributed to Japan’s World Baseball Classic victory in February. In two appearances for Japan, he secured a 1-0 record, allowing only two runs on four hits over 7 ¹/₃ innings while recording an impressive 12 strikeouts. He notably pitched 3 ¹/₃ innings of relief in Japan’s semifinal triumph against Mexico.
Subsequently, Yamamoto has maintained his impressive performance in Nippon Professional Baseball.
Mets pitcher Kodai Senga praised Yamamoto as an “exceptional talent” in an interview conducted in August. Senga further noted that Yamamoto has been performing at a high level since a very young age.
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