"Daily life environment will be completely different" - Yoshinobu Yamamoto reveals the 'biggest challenge' in MLB transition for him

Yoshinobu Yamamoto has hit the ground running for the LA Dodgers in Spring Training alongside his fellow pitchers and catchers who reported on Feb. 9 and the rest of the positional players who joined a week later.

As the former NPB ace prepares to pitch in the big leagues, an exclusive interview with Sportsnet LA revealed some of the biggest challenges ahead of the RHP as he prepares for his rookie season in the Major Leagues.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto is already a three-time Eiji Sawamura Award winner, which is the Cy-Young Award equivalent of the Japanese League. He also has five All-Star selections in the NPB all the while claiming a Japan Series title in 2022 with the Orix Buffaloes.

Yamamoto was interviewed in between his Spring Training sessions and was initially asked about the support that he was receiving from the Dodgers players and staff. He replied:

"I get a lot of support from teammates and staff, from the whole organization. And I am able to focus on what I need to do here."

Next, the interviewer asked the Japanese ace about his perspective on coming to the States to play ball at a higher level after having achieved a lot of success in Japan. He replied:

“I am looking forward to facing players on a different level, a higher level. Those were good numbers I put up in Japan. It gives me confidence, but I am a rookie here so I'm going to do my best.”

Yohsinobu Yamamoto was finally asked about what he felt was the biggest difference between playing in his home country and then flying across the Pacific to play in the most competitive baseball league in the world.

He replied:

"The biggest difference as like a daily life environment will be completely different from Japan, and that might be the biggest challenge for me."

Finally, Yamamoto addressed the need to be in constant touch with the coaching staff and dig through the data to better modify his pitching tactics, according to the situation of the ballgames throughout the 2024 MLB season.

In his final NPB appearance, Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched through the entire game to force Game 7 in 2023 Japan Series

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a native of the southern city of Bizen, delivered when called upon to take the mound in Game 6 of the 2023 Japan Series in an attempt to force a Game 7.

In order to force a Game 7, the ace pitched 138 pitches and struck out 14 hitters in a complete game outing that helped the Orix Buffaloes win Game 6, 5-1.

After pitching for the NPB's Orix Buffaloes for six seasons, the 25-year-old signed the largest MLB pitcher contract ever, at $325 million over 12 years, with the LA Dodgers.