Yoshinobu Yamamoto slays during Dodgers press conference with an $81,500 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Frosted watch

Yoshinobu Yamamoto made headlines when he signed a $350 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers last month, the most ever offered to an MLB pitcher. Yamamoto will play a huge part in a roster that will be headlined by two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani in 2024.

Yamamoto had a press conference on New Year's Day at Dodger Stadium and his outfit included an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Frosted watch, valued at $81,500. Dodgers Nation and MLB Fits were quick to share photos of the Japanese star and his outfit on Instagram:

"Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s press conference fit was too clean 🤧 plus an $80K+ Audemars Piguet 🤑"

Joining Ohtani in LA was always going to be huge news around the MLB. As such, both Yamamoto and Ohtani have been the focus of attention as the Dodgers prepare for a World Series push in 2024.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto's first press conference as a Dodger

Just under a week ago, Yoshinobu Yamamoto gave an introductory press conference with the Dodgers, in which they formally unveiled him as a member of the team.

Yamamoto was excited to be in LA, as he told the media:

"I am beyond ecstatic to become a member of this historic franchise and cannot express how much it means to me to be able to call Los Angeles my new home."

He later revealed who he was most excited to face in the MLB:

“If anyone (I’m) really looking forward to playing against, it’s Masataka Yoshida of the Red Sox,” Yamamoto said on MLB Tonight. “He was an old teammate in Japan. To be able to face him in a real game over here would mean a lot.”

With excitement at a peak and the expectations for 2024 set to be high, it will be interesting to see how Yoshinobu Yamamoto's skillset translates into the MLB. The pressure is set to be high for both Yamamoto and Ohtani in 2024, and their ability to handle it will go a long way in determining the Dodgers' season.