Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda takes the crown in Dodgers' annual Buffalo Wings contest

Yoshinobu Yamamoto will soon play his first game for the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, it was his interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda who made a solid first impression on the team.

The Dodgers held their annual Spring Training buffalo wings eating competition on Thursday night and Sonoda was the star of the contest after being crowned champion.

After winning the contest, Sonoda was greeted with chants of "Hiro" and was asked to give a speech. He then stood up on a pedestal and said:

"Okay guys, thank you very much for having me here. This is my first year, my first MLB gig. I really appreciate it. This is way better than I thought. You guys have given me more than I expected"

Sonoda then added:

"Now I know why Shohei and then Yoshinobu came to this organization. Now I know."

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Yoshinobu Yamamoto contract: How much will the pitcher earn with the Los Angeles Dodgers?

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto

As per reports from Spotrac, Yoshinobu Yamamoto has signed a mammoth 12-year, $325 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. His deal included a $50 million signing bonus and it equates to an annual average salary of $27,083,333.

Yamamoto played six seasons with the NBP's Orix Buffaloes before signing for the Dodgers. He racked up 922 strikeouts and finished with a 70–29 record.

Moreover, Yamamoto earned five NBP All-Star honors and won three MVP awards, along with winning the championship with the Buffaloes in 2022.

Now, it will be interesting to see how he performs in the MLB. Yamamoto threw to his Dodgers teammates for the first time during Saturday's Spring Training session and looked quite comfortable with his pitching.

The Dodgers will head into the 2024 MLB season with Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts as part of their core team.