How Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto ‘elevated his game to another level’

to Clayton KirchoIt was more than just a junction.

like Yoshinobo Yamamoto And Jacob Dejum The zeros circulated in Globe Life Field In Texas last week, Kershaw sat in the hideout, fascinated by what he could only describe as an exhibition of excellence.

“These two men, so you should look when you wear,” Kircho said after a few days. “The liquid, the voltage, the way it comes out of your hand. This is how you should throw. Degrom and Yama are the best that makes it look very easy.”

For Degrom, CY Young twice and COL-Star four times, such praise is not new. But for Lamamoto, who flourishes in the second year of the best player in the second year, he was one of the best beginners in sports, was a sign of the progress of his young career in MLB.

“He learned his way well,” Kircho said. “Frankly quickly, for what it was.”

Last year, as a rise with huge expectations after that Record 325 million dollars Outside Japan, Yamamoto was good. Sometimes, even. 7-2 went with an average of 3.00 gains. Hit 105 in only 90 floors. He was Evading‘Game 1 Starter for the National League series.

However, I often felt that something is missing. There was also another level that he could not reach constantly.

“We can also expect or imagine, there was a lot of uncertainty,” the manager Dave Roberts Remember this spring of the adaptation process in Yamamoto. “I will not say anxiety. However, however [he was] New in place. There are expectations that everyone has. “

Entering year 2, those expectations were still present. And one month in them easily – if they are not overlooked.

Through six games, Yamamoto extends throughout the leaders statistical panels, where it ranked first in NL in the afternoon (1.06), the fourth in Strainouts (43), the sixth in the roles that were placed (34) and the highest 10 in both walking in addition to the visits of the half that was placed (1.00) on average (. 190).

And that was after it was the worst start of him on Friday, a Loss of Pittsburgh Pirates Where he gave up three runs (one who got) five strikes and four long -distance walking paths in another high -level duel against Paul Scanes.

“There are definitely a lot of talents,” Roberts said of Yamamoto. “But he only talks about how much he wants to be, his own expectations, and the work he puts in continuing to stay at the top of this game.”

Besides the work, the conversion of Yamamoto, in the opinion of many about the team, also descends into some simple things: more confidence in itself, more comfort in its vicinity and more condemnation of the hill.

“It is clear that today’s things were a little struggle,” said Yamamoto, who was by translator Yoshiro Sonoda after the beginning of Friday. “But if you evaluate my things to this game, it is that [hasn’t been] bad.”

Reaching there requires last season’s pain. But now he flourishes in one of the best jugs.

“It is just a human nature,” Kircho said. “If you are somewhere for a year, you feel more comfortable, you are more acclimated. When you succeed, you gain confidence.”

After the opening match for the Dodgerian season last year, Kiki Hernandez He simply had a feeling.

While sitting in the hideout that night as an unused seat paddle, the veteran facility man saw the beginning of Yamamoto against San Diego Padres closely, in an attempt to understand the reason for the emergence of many talents. A struggle of three games, five runs In his post -season appearance.

Hernandez has always been convinced of the potential of Yamamoto, which was dazzled by the driving of the fast ball in the 1990s and apparently uninterrupted movement. Hernandez had also seen the concept guide, when Yamamoto, New York Yanxiz More than seven amazing roles In Bronx in June.

After that excitement, however, Yamamoto Suffer Which resulted in its marginalization for about three months. Although he was in good health again by the time of his first match in the division chain, Hernandez could only feel that the 26-year-old lacks at least a cheerful behavior, Hazem-Hazem, a big star in the league.

Hernandez said: “It was after match 1,” Hernandez said.

Therefore, during the team’s day in San Diego after match 2, Hernandez sought to get out of Yamamoto to have an individual conversation-a meeting with him and a translator from the Wasserman Media Group (Agency that represents both players) for about two hours in Starbucks on the ground floor of the club hotel.

“I just wanted to choose his brain, and I know where his head was,” Hernandez said.

What Yamamoto shared was lighting, expressing uncertainty about who was as a major pusher in the league and how to spread arsenal in the best way against the opposition squad.

Hernandez said: “I felt he did not owe the stadiums he was throwing.” “He just stated that he was slightly exhausted.”

It was an understandable dilemma. Almost all rising jugs – even those who have previous professional experience in Japan – pass during this acclimatization period, in an attempt to improve raw talent into tangible results. This learning curve can be especially very slope with a club like Dodgers, where the archers have to balance their personal preferences with very detailed game planning information that is included in the advanced scout reports of the team.

“When you throw the stadiums you don’t want to throw,” Hernandez notes, “Your convictions are not the same as when you throw the stadium you are committed to.”

The Yamamoto season is shortened due to the injury to only 18 beginnings of that process. His linguistic barrier with the training staff was other complications.

“I feel bad for these men,” said Danny Leman, a bench coach, a major voice in the team’s game planning meetings, a major voice in gaming planning meetings, about the challenges facing Yamamoto and other Japanese imports early in their career in MLB. “Language barrier, culture, all of these things are just a lot. Especially moving directly to the major championships.”

However, Hernandez provided a simple encouragement as the ending coffee: commitment to throwing his best things and confidence in his distinguished talent will play regardless of who stands in the mixture box.

“You like,” You are already one of the best jugs on this planet, “Hernandez narrated. But he still feels that there was more. In order to go out and bring his best, he needed to adhere to the stadiums he was throwing. “

The message, clearly, echo.

When Yamamoto started its next start, in a Winner of all game 5 from NLDSThe monument Five roles without goals To help the evaders win the series – then thank Hernandez and others in the club for their support.

“I owe my performance today to my teammates,” he said.

Since then, Yamamoto has not seen back.

At the same time, Yamamoto met with Hernandez, he also had a penetration with the training team.

Lehman said that the qualifiers granted the so -called “running section” to the number to take a deeper diving with all the beginnings of the beginning. They were particularly sharpened on Yamamoto, worried that he might have tended to defeat his game 1.

From this process, Lehman recalls, “We got to know him a little better, and what he wants to do.”

“We had more time to sit and watch videos, like, here are how your playground play” … even the way you play each other, “the bench coach remembers.” I think he had a better feeling of what we do, and how to decipher it. “

After he played 5 jewel, Yamamoto was solid again in Game 4 of the NL championship series (4 floors, two halves, eight passes) and wonderful in Game 2 of the World series (6⅓ roles, one run, four passes), as the backbone of the championship promotion employees.

“It was a different animal,” Hernandez said.

He – she Spring training has been implementedWhen Yamamoto became an immediate distinguished with his renewed balance and consistent daily work ethics.

“I think it is just a human nature. If you are somewhere for a year, you feel more comfortable, and adapt more. When you succeed, you gain confidence.”

(Robert Gotier / Los Angeles Times)

Kircho said: “The way you throw a long amazing tumor,” Kircho said.

During the opening month of this season, the confident Yamamoto Tel, behind the scenes, was reflected, and his jug became more hiding in the game planning meetings and its confirmation of his behavior in the club.

Hernandez said: “You only see the language of his body, the way he carries this year, there is more security in himself,” Hernandez said. “When you have this confidence,” hey, I can do this. I can do this at the highest level. “That’s what is for me.

All of this was reflected in the pride he took from the duel last week against Degrom, where the Texas Rangers star exceeded seven closed roles and a better rate to strike the profession from 10 to 0.

“He raised his game to another level,” said Roberts. “You can see that he was inconsistent with one of the best game in Degrom, and it is clear that he match him on the field.”

It was clear again in the disappointment of Yamamoto after a loss of Friday to the pirates, when he lacked his typical leadership while he was outperforming 6⅓ knife tires without goals.

Yamamoto said: “I was leaving the count, and then I could not establish my country’s rhythm.” “I couldn’t grind and take myself out of trouble.”

It was another lesson, but this time in a different context. Yamamoto is no longer looking to verify health at the level of the large league. Now it comes to polishing the rest of his quick game.

“I don’t think it is the science of missiles,” Kircho said. “This is like life in any business, or any means. You feel more comfortable, and you are more confident, as you can succeed and do so.”

After that, thinking about the beginning of Yamamoto against Rangers, the future Famer hall pushed Yamamoto one of the biggest compliments it can.

Kircho said: “The way he throws, is how I think you will learn it,” Kircho said.