It’s time to turn the attention towards the furry counterparts! Amid the ongoing trade discussions and upcoming games, news that’s doing the rounds is about Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s dog, whom he adopted. Yamamoto’s love for dogs has been there since his childhood, as his mother used to work at a veterinary clinic. So, is that the only reason behind his adoption of the dog?

Well, maybe to some extent. However, before we get into more details, let’s see how Yamamoto managed to add another pup to the Dodgers’ inner circle. Yamamoto was signed by the Dodgers in 2023 for a hefty twelve-year, $325 million contract alongside MLB greats like Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, and Tyler Glasnow. But that’s not all!

Yamamoto had a 3.00 ERA, with 18 G, 90.0 P, 105 strikeouts, and 1.11 WHIP in 2024. While his contribution and the Dodgers’ on-field moves led the team to dominate the regular season, something that’s bringing the players together is their dogs. On February 27, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, when asked about his dog on Sports NetLA, said, “Last year, while I was in my IL, my mom visited me in LA. She wanted to visit the animal shelter, so we went there, and I fell in love with my dog, so I adopted him.” Yamamoto shares the heartwarming moment when he found this American Staffordshire Terrier in an animal shelter, and that’s it!

Yamamoto even mentioned that his dog., Mikan, has been doing quite well with Shohei Ohtani’s dog, Decoy, chasing each other, which is sort of fun to see, isn’t it? That’s great given that there are many Dodgers’ players who have shown their unconditional love for their pet dogs—rightly said, “Dogs are more loyal than human beings.” While it’s never been a competition, rather their love for their furry counterparts, it’s Shohei Ohtani who made his trend popular by doing something that no one expected.

So, what happened actually with Shohei Ohtani’s dog?

Decoy, MLB’s most valuable pup, maybe?

Considering all the attention that the Los Angeles Dodgers receive due to their star-studded lineup, there has been an equal share of interest among the fans about their players’ pets too. While Shohei Ohtani’s signing amount of $700 million for a ten-year deal remains one of the highest, his dog’s name can easily be labeled as one of the most valuable pups, isn’t it? Ohtani’s dog Decoy receives a fair share of popularity, given that he didn’t miss a chance to mention his dog during the ceremonial first pitch at the Dodgers Stadium. But that doesn’t end here!

Decoy, being a Dutch Kooikerhondje, is quite lively, agile, alert, and good-natured, which makes the dog easygoing and friendly towards other dogs as well. While the Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts has shared his support to name Decoy as the unofficial Dodgers mascot, Yoshinobu Yamamoto isn’t much behind. Yamamoto made an entry to the Camelback Ranch with his dog ironically dressed in Ohtani’s jersey, and that cannot keep fans expressing their delight and praising Yamamoto for adopting the dog.

So, now that the Dodgers have two of the most famous dogs alongside the best players’, it might be bad news for the other clubs. The only way to tackle such a problem? Well, maybe come up with more photos of their dogs posted on social networks! What’s your take on it? Let us know in the comment below.