Will it be hard to win a third consecutive title?
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Orix), considered the best pitcher in Nippon Professional Baseball, has a red light on his way to a third consecutive four-peat. The strikeout and winning percentage titles are also in jeopardy.
As of the 22nd, Yamamoto is 14-6 with a 1.32 ERA in 21 starts. In 150 innings pitched, he has 148 strikeouts. His wins and ERA are well ahead of the second-place finisher, making him a favorite to win the title. However, she is second in strikeouts and winning percentage.
Atsuki Taneichi of Chiba Lotte leads the way in strikeouts (153). Yamamoto is five behind. He’s been up and down in every start. Taneichi took the loss against SoftBank on April 21, allowing four runs in five innings, but regained the strikeout lead with seven strikeouts.
In terms of winning percentage, teammate Hiroya Miyagi leads the way with a .714 winning percentage (10-4). Yamamoto is second with a .700 winning percentage (14-6).
Yamamoto had a disappointing outing against Rakuten on April 16. He gave up three runs (two earned) on nine hits in seven innings to take the loss. The Orix lost 1-3. Yamamoto only struck out three batters on the day. This dropped him to second in strikeouts and wins.
The Oryx have already clinched the regular season title. They’ve won it three years in a row. In the remaining games, Yamamoto can pitch up to three games. It will be interesting to see if he can make a comeback in strikeouts and wins.
Yamamoto is the best ace in Japan. He won four Pacific League titles and MVP honors in back-to-back years in 2021 and 2022. The four categories are wins, ERA, strikeouts, and winning percentage. He also won the Sawamura Award for the second year in a row, which is given to the best pitcher in the game and is only awarded to those who fulfill the most demanding criteria.
After making his professional debut in 2017, Yamamoto appeared in five games (one win) in his first year, and then pitched 54 games (53 innings) out of the bullpen in 2018.
After adjusting to the professional game, he made his first season as a starting pitcher in 2019. After going 8-6 with a 1.95 ERA in 20 games in 2019, and 8-4 with a 2.20 ERA in 18 games in 2020, Yamamoto’s talent really took off in 2021.
In 26 games in 2021, he went 18-5 with a 1.39 ERA and 206 strikeouts, winning four pitching awards. He threw six complete games and four shutouts. In 2022, he led the league for the second straight year, going 15-5 with a 1.68 ERA and 205 strikeouts in 26 games. He threw four complete games and two shutouts.
Prior to this season, Yamamoto pitched in the World Baseball Classic in March, helping Team Japan win the tournament. After starting April with a 2-2 record and a 1.78 ERA, Yamamoto became more dominant as the month progressed.카지노
On April 9, Yamamoto threw a no-hitter against Chiba Lotte, becoming the first pitcher in 82 years to throw a no-hitter for two consecutive years. It is the third-longest streak in Nippon Professional Baseball history. He joins Eiji Sawamura in 1936-1937 and Tadashi Kameda in 1940-1941. He was the first to do it after the two major leagues.