As Yoshinobu Yamamoto Earns Top Honor Once Again, Will It Impact His Ongoing Free Agency?

While the world wonders where Yoshinobu Yamamoto will land this offseason, the ace has added another feather to his cap. The record-breaking pitcher has won his third consecutive Pacific League MVP award. With this, he has become a part of an elite group of players in Japan. Not only is this a tremendous achievement, but this also raises questions about his current free agency in MLB. This could have an impact on his demand in the market.

While Yamamoto is already one of the most wanted pitchers in the market right now, achievements like these take act as a certificate of his greatness. It’s worth calculating this award win’s impact on the price that he is anticipated to receive.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto is on the verge of unprecedented success

The last player to win three consecutive MVP awards before Yamamoto was the legendary Ichiro Suzuki and before him was the ace Hisashi Yamada. This shows how elusive of a record Yamamoto has just made. Not even the biggest free agent of baseball currently, Shohei Ohtani, was able to replicate this record. 

This certainly acts as proof of his impressive abilities, but do the teams even need it? They already know his greatness and this just makes it more obvious that he is a future superstar. But this does highlight his improving numbers.

In 2021, his ERA was 1.39. Last season he broke through his own personal record with an ERA of 1.21 and led the league in almost every criterion. More than the award, it’s these underlining stats that show his consistent growth. Add to that his career win percentage of .707, it shows how he can turn teams around with his skills.

Read more: Yoshinobu Yamamoto Free Agency Timeline Emerges Amidst Nearing Winter Meetings, With Teams Battling Over His Signature

So, in the long run, this award really only reinforces the view that Yamamoto is an extraordinary talent and big things are on the horizon for him. The teams associated with him are aware of this. Nevertheless, it will inevitably heighten the competition for his services, possibly exceeding his initial expectations of $200 million.

Teams with the highest chance of getting the ace

New York Mets remain the biggest link, but they will have to reduce their payroll quite a bit if they want to meet the $200 million value of Yamamoto. The New York Yankees are another team that is ahead due to the ace’s interest in pitching in their stadium. Arizona Diamondbacks and LA Dodgers are other major suitors. There are even more teams after him.

With this award, the bidding war could only increase for Yamamoto. There’s a high chance he gets something even bigger than a $200 million contract. With nearly half of the league having enquired for him, the clock is ticking for his decision.

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