By CJ Carlson
The Los Angeles Dodgers couldn’t be happier with the talent that they landed in free agency. They not only signed Shohei Ohtani, but they also locked down Yoshinobu Yamamoto on top of that. Both players have made their spring debuts with the team, and the results were exactly what the franchise was hoping for.
Dodgers Watch Yamamoto Yoshinobu’s Debut
Yamamoto was one of the most sought-after names in the open market of all-time. When he stepped out onto the mound, he looked as comfortable as ever. His first matchup saw him strike out an All-Star in Marcus Semien. He gave up a single to Evan Carter in the same inning, though he recovered nicely with a double play later on.
We saw him come out in the second inning as well, this time striking out a former Silver Slugger in Nathaniel Lowe. That same inning, he forced an easy fly out on All-Star Jonah Heim, and then wrapped up his evening with a strikeout on Leody Taveras. Mind you, this was all against the reigning World Series champs, the Texas Rangers.
When asking about his performance, he said, “I was just trying to do my job, trying to stay calm and focus on what I have to do.” He also noted that Ohtani showing up to cheer him on was a big deal. Ohtani made a 30-minute trip to support him for his debut. Yamamoto said, “II didn’t think he would come, so it made me really happy.”
Ohtani got to watch a great performance, with the Japanese rookie phenom throwing 19 pitches with 16 of them going for strikes. The Dodgers know they got a great one. It’s no wonder why they signed him to a 12-year, $325 million contract.
Shohei Ohtani Debuted A Little Earlier
As for Ohtani, he made his debut a few days prior. Now, the two-way superstar won’t be pitching for the Dodgers this season after he had surgery in the offseason. However, he’s still going to be one of the best hitters that baseball has to offer. In his debut with Los Angeles, he was able to smash away a two-run homer. Ohtani was handed a $700 million contract by the club, so this team is clearly looking to win and they’re looking to do it now.
Only time will tell if these investments are worth it, but Los Angeles and their fan base has to be feeling good after watching these two make their debuts.
