Yoshinobu Yamamoto Prepares for WBC While Dodgers Seek Three-Peat

As the World Baseball Classic (WBC) approaches, Yoshinobu Yamamoto remains unfazed, insisting he has no worries about balancing his responsibilities. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Dodgers publicly echo similar sentiments, though their fans may feel a mix of excitement and anxiety about their ace’s performance and health during the tournament.

Yamamoto’s recent outing against the San Francisco Giants, where he allowed five hits and two runs in three innings during a 12-4 loss, marks his final appearance before heading to Tokyo. There, he will join forces with Shohei Ohtani and the rest of Team Japan as they aim to defend their WBC title. “We’re going to miss him certainly when he’s away with Team Japan,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged. “But we absolutely got what we needed.”

In his last start, Yamamoto threw 37 of his 52 pitches for strikes, recording four strikeouts. He is tentatively scheduled to face Chinese Taipei on March 6 in his WBC opener, where he will be limited to 65 pitches. “I’m looking forward to that game against Taiwan,” Yamamoto said, expressing his anticipation for the match. “I understand the passion of Taiwanese fans and baseball fans. So I think it’s special.” If Japan advances, he could pitch again in the quarterfinals with a 75-pitch limit, or potentially in the semifinals or championship game with a 95-pitch restriction.

Roberts emphasized the alignment between the Dodgers’ management and Yamamoto regarding his pitching schedule. “Yoshinobu knows when he’s going to pitch for Team Japan, and we’re aligned as far as our organization and our pitching guys. He’s comfortable with it,” Roberts stated. However, when asked how much he would pitch, Yamamoto playfully replied, “It’s a secret.”

Reflecting on the previous season, where he pitched 211 innings—including 37.1 in the postseason—Yamamoto admitted that while he felt physically fine, the mental toll was significant. “Mentally, I was a little bit tired,” he shared. “You know, fatigue. But physically, I was good.” Now, after a rigorous training regimen in Arizona throughout February, he feels ready to lead Japan to back-to-back WBC titles and the Dodgers to a potential World Series three-peat.

Roberts expressed confidence in Yamamoto’s readiness, saying, “I do think when the bell rings, he’s going to be fine. But I could certainly understand what he’s gone through the last couple of years. It’s a tax mentally, but you know he’s going to have to ramp up for the WBC. We’ll see how he is when he gets back with us.”

Yamamoto’s preparation has been intense, with workouts six days a week, sometimes lasting six hours. Dodgers teammate Kiké Hernández praised him, saying, “The dude is an animal. Little guy, nicest guy in the world, but man … when he’s on the mound, that stadium is his, and he’s shown it.”

As the Dodgers gear up for the season, Yamamoto’s role as their ace is crucial. With Blake Snell dealing with shoulder fatigue and other pitchers like Emmit Sheehan and Bobby Miller facing their own challenges, the team is counting on Yamamoto to lead the rotation. He finished third in the NL Cy Young voting last season with a 12-8 record, a 2.49 ERA, and 201 strikeouts. In his last outing, he displayed his talent, hitting 97 mph on his fastball, despite giving up a leadoff homer and a couple of hits.

“After today’s game, I do feel I got the feeling I wanted and was looking for, although there’s some more stuff I need to work on,” Yamamoto noted. Scouts in attendance were optimistic about his readiness for both the upcoming season and the WBC.

With a potential championship matchup looming between Team Japan and Team USA, Roberts posed an interesting question about Dodgers fans’ loyalties. “That’s a great question. I would like to say the U.S., the ones that are U.S. citizens, but it’s probably going to be a split camp because there’s a lot of Yoshinobu fans, for sure.”

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.