After his senpai‘s signing, Yoshinobu Yamamoto is the most sought-after name in MLB right now. The 25-year-old ace is at the top of the biggest major league teams’ lists. Despite having never played before on the American scene, the MLB rookie-to-be’s popularity has reached heights that even many long-time professionals haven’t been able to achieve. It possesses valid and justifiable reasons.

The Japanese ace’s popularity has sparked rumors of a $300 million contract that could break MLB records. What are the factors at play that have led to such a rapid rise in Yamamoto’s stardom?

Reasons behind Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s elite fame-game

At just 25 years of age, Yamamoto has stepped within the boundaries of a sport that has an average retirement age of 35. This is a golden opportunity for any team seeking long-term players. But that’s not the end of the story. Yoshinobu Yamamoto has a dazzling track record. The ace has three consecutive Sawamura wins under his belt already—an award equivalent to MLB’s Cy Young.

Yamamoto won them in the last three years in the NPB after winning 49-16 by racking up 580 strikeouts and an ERA of 1.44 across an average of 550 innings. The ace has an uncanny ability to rise to the occasion when the need calls for it. And he consistently displays it in his pitching style.

The pitching phenom has an impeccable sense of attacking hitters with a plethora of throwing tactics. Curveballs, wipeout splitters, cutting/sliding hybrids, or a four-seamer—Yoshinobu Yamamoto has displayed the highest possible velocity across all of his throw styles. Speaking of curveballs, Yamamoto has a few other factors that were instrumental in his gaining such fame.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been predicted to receive a deal worth $300 million by an MLB insider this week. The 3x Pacific League MVP winner knows the tricks of the trade, especially after an exceptional tenure with the Orix Buffaloes. As many have already guessed and MLB.com rightly stated, Yamamoto’s age serves him well as an already established professional player. His native roots and the no-strings-attached past play a huge part in this as well.

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MLB has been welcoming Japanese players for a long time, which gives the ace quite an edge over other prospects in free agency. Not only that, unlike most free agents, Yamamoto does not come with a qualifying offer attached to his name. That means he has no prior deal holding him back or making him turn down deals that might’ve seemed bleaker in comparison. That makes him a prime target for almost all the big league teams. It is only a matter of time to see which one he chooses in the end.

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