Do you like the Dodgers? On the Dodgers team three Japanese players are dominating Major League Baseball and they led the Dodgers to win 2 World Series (2024, 2025). These three players are Shohei Ohtani, Roki Sasaki, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. In this post, I’m going to write about Yoshinobu Yamamoto and why is he special.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto is baseball player who is Japanese right-handed pitcher and 2025 World Series MVP. When he played in NPB which is Japan professional baseball league, he played for Orix Buffaloes. During his time in NPB, he led the Buffaloes to a Japan Series championship in 2022 and won the prestigious Eiji Sawamura Award three consecutive times from 2021 to 2023. The Sawamura Award is considered the Japanese equivalent of MLB’s Cy Young Award, given to the best pitcher each season. Because of his dominance in Japan, Yamamoto signed a historic contract with the Dodgers, becoming one of the most highly valued pitchers in baseball history.

Why is Yamamoto special? First, he is an undersized player. He is only 5’10 and that is much shorter than other players. For example, Shohei Ohtani and Yu Darvish are Japanese players, but they’re 6’4 and 6’5. Despite this physical disadvantage, Yamamoto can throw a fastball reaching 98 miles per hour. Second, his pitching form is unique. Rather than using an exaggerated leg kick, his motion moves quickly and directly toward the catcher, creating excellent balance and efficiency. Lastly, his training mechanics are very unique. When you watch his training on video, you will never see on the video that he is lifting weights. He’s working out his flexibility such as bridge and headstand. And when you watch his training, you will see that he’s throwing spear. You’ve probably never seen any pitcher throw a spear in practice.

His training philosophy is equally unusual. Instead of focusing heavily on weightlifting, Yamamoto emphasizes on flexibility and body control through exercises such as bridges and headstands. He even practices spear-throwing movements to develop proper arm mechanics and energy transfer. These methods help him generate power efficiently rather than relying purely on size or strength.

Yamamoto’s intelligence on the field further separates him from other pitchers. During games, he frequently studies hitters using an iPad in the dugout, analyzing swing tendencies and identifying which pitches have the highest probability of producing a miss. He also trains his upper and lower body separately to maximize mechanical efficiency. By increasing the speed and rhythm of his delivery, he disrupts hitters’ timing and compensates for his smaller frame. His preparation demonstrates how careful study and strategic thinking can overcome physical limitations.

In a sport where height and power often dominate scouting reports, Yoshinobu Yamamoto represents a different path to success. His career suggests that precision, intelligence, and preparation can rival physical size. Command, not height, defines true pitching dominance.