The Mets certainly could have envisioned Yoshinobu Yamamoto making a crucial postseason start at Citi Field.
Just not like this.
Yamamoto, the Japanese rookie with a devastating six-pitch mix, is set to start NLCS Game 4 for the Dodgers in Queens on Thursday night, some 10 months after he chose a record-setting contract with Los Angeles over signing with the Mets.
During his highly publicized free agency last offseason, Yamamoto, 26, met multiple times with the Mets, including when owner Steve Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns traveled to Japan.
“I had a good impression, which made it a little hard to make a decision,” Yamamoto said Wednesday through an interpreter of those meetings with the Mets. “It’s a wonderful organization.”
Yamamoto ultimately joined the Dodgers in December on a 12-year, $325 million deal, the biggest MLB contract ever given to a pitcher in terms of total value.
The Mets made a comparable offer, but, after missing out on their top target, signed left-hander Sean Manaea in January to a two-year contract with an opt-out.
Yamamoto arrived with sky-high hype, having won three consecutive Sawamura Awards — Nippon Professional Baseball’s Cy Young equivalent — with the Orix Buffaloes and starred for Team Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
He largely delivered for the Dodgers, going 7-2 with a 3.00 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 90 innings during a debut MLB season in which he missed nearly three months due to a right shoulder injury.
“I think it’s been a very good learning year for Yoshinobu in the sense of the grind of a long season, a major league season, learning hitters, major league hitters, what plays and what doesn’t play,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday.
Yamamoto faced the Mets once during the regular season, surrendering four runs (three earned) over six innings with nine strikeouts in an April 19 no-decision in Los Angeles.
“He’s got good stuff,” said Pete Alonso, who went 1-for-3 with an RBI single and a strikeout against Yamamoto. “He’s got a really good arm. He’s a super polished guy.”
Yamamoto returned from the injured list on Sept. 10 and has not exceeded 79 pitches in a start since.
He is 1-0 with a 5.63 through two starts in his first MLB postseason, but he hurled five shutout innings in the Dodgers’ 2-0 win in NLDS Game 5 over the Padres last week to advance to the NLCS.
“Having that little injury, kind of being on the IL, was tough for him, for all of us,” Roberts said. “But to come back with such great intent, urgency has been great to see, and just to get him in the postseason, I think that’s been pretty exciting.”
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