Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Japanese sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitches for Team Japan during the 2020 Summer Olympics, in which they won the Gold Medal. Photo by Yukihito Taguchi via USA TODAY Sports

Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto has officially been posted to MLB.

The Orix Buffaloes officially posted the superstar pitcher today, meaning that he is now eligible for Major League Baseball consideration. Beginning tomorrow, Yamamoto will hit free agency and a 45-day window will occur where he can be signed by MLB teams. Therefore, he will have until January 4 to sign with an MLB club.

Sought After

The 25-year-old is expected to be a highly sought-after asset for a variety of MLB teams. Since 2017, Yamamoto possesses a 70-29 record, going 16-6 in 2023 alone with a 1.29 ERA and 169 strikeouts. He will therefore be a valuable asset for any MLB team he signs with.

Yamamoto pitched two games in the 2023 Japan Series, the equivalent of the World Series. He had a clunker in Game 1, allowing seven earned runs. However, he rebounded in Game 6, striking out 14 batters, a Japan Series record. Unfortunately for him, the Buffaloes lost the series to the Hanshin Tigers, though they won the chip last year.

Jung Hoo Lee

Players in the NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball), the Japanese equivalent of MLB, can be “posted” to MLB when they hit free agency. In return for signing with an MLB club, the NPB club receives a percentage of the contract. The same applies to the KBO, the Korean baseball league, where a star of their own is expected to be posted: Jung Hoo Lee.

Jung Hoo Lee, also known as Lee Jung-hoo, is another sought-after talent. The Kiwoom Heroes centerfielder is only 24 years of age, known for hitting for a high average. His career batting average in the KBO is .340, and he has never hit below .318. The lefty is the definition of a contact hitter, so he doesn’t possess the most power. However, he still hit 23 bombs last season along with 10 triples, amounting to a .996 OPS.

Despite the impressive numbers, some are skeptical of whether or not he can produce that in MLB, as the KBO is equivalent to Double A (AA) in the States. But as far as raw talent goes, both Lee and Yamamoto are the real deal.