"You don't win 3 MVP awards by age 25 without exceptional talent" - Dodgers President Andrew Friedman welcomes Yoshinobu Yamamoto to LA

Wednesday was a great day for Andrew Friedman and the Los Angeles Dodgers as they made the Yoshinobu Yamamoto signing official. Both sides agreed to a record 12-year, $325 million deal.

With the deal officially signed, there is a lot of excitement within the fanbase. The President of Baseball Operations spoke to the media alongside CEO Stan Kasten to speak on his excitement about Yamamoto joining the Dodgers.

"You don't win three MVP awards by the age of 25 without an exceptional combination of talent, work ethic, and mental toughness" stated Friedman (via Fabian Ardaya on X).

Friedman is more than impressed by Yamamoto's elite abilities at such a young age. He does not believe the young ace is done developing, either. He expects the Japanese star to continue to get better in LA.

"He's an elite pitcher who will only become more dynamic in a Dodger uniform. We are thrilled for him to be a mainstay at the top of the rotation for years to come," Friedman added.

This has been an outstanding offseason for the Dodgers thus far. They have created a team to strike fear into opposing teams for the next few years.

Yamamoto will be the highest-paid pitcher heading into the 2024 season. His contract just nearly beats out New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole's $324 million contract.

Taking a closer look at the Dodgers' new ace, Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Japan Training Session

Yoshinobu Yamamoto was the top-rated pitcher on the open market, and that was not by mistake. He has been nearly unhittable over the last few seasons in Japan.

His career list of highlights and awards is filled to the brim with achievements. He is a five-time NPB All-Star, three-time Japanese Triple Crown Award winner, three-time Pacific League MVP, and Three-time Gold Glove Award winner.

Yamamoto also has two recent no-hitters to his name—in 2022 and September 2023. And many insiders believe he will have no trouble transitioning to the big leagues.

While Yamamoto is small in size (5-foot-10), he has a strong frame. His fastball can tough 99 MPH with little effort, and he has a great command of the strike zone. Yamamoto also commands a rainbow curveball, slider, and wipeout splitter.

He mixes his pitches well, keeping batters on their toes, and will pair nicely alongside Tyler Glasnow at the top of that rotation. He is going to be one player that fans will not want to miss his debut.