Yoshinobu Yamamoto might have joined the Boys in Blue for several reasons: an unbelievable nine-figure deal, the Dodgers’ pre-existing fame, or Shohei Ohtani’s involvement in the team. But none of that mattered as much as his sentiment surrounding a teenage memory with the Blue Crew did.

The ace, who got into the Nippon Professional Baseball League only three days after his 19th birthday, reportedly came to witness a supreme display of Japanese excellence under the Dodgers banner the same year. Yamamoto considers that incident to have planted the first seed of the “Blue” dream in his mind. Given the fact that Ohtani was not part of the Blue Crew back then, who could Yamamoto possibly have witnessed that change of mind for the benefit of his current team?

When was the first time Yoshinobu Yamamoto dreamed of being a Dodger?

In his Wednesday conference with the team that introduced him as their official player, Yamamoto was asked by one of the several reporters present there regarding his sentiment towards the team. The question hinted toward the Dodgers’ history of having legends like Hideo Nomo and Kenta Maeda play under their banner and how that past might have factored in Yamamoto’s decision to join them. The reply that followed shortly after was nothing short of intriguing.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto keenly listened to the quip before telling a story of his own. Back when he was just 19 years old, he came to Hollywood to watch a playoff game with Kenta Maeda on the mound. That incident made his chances of joining the Blue Crew stronger than ever before. Since then, Yamamoto has found several reasons to look up to the team.

One of the primary ones was his WBC teammate Shohei Ohtani’s inclusion, which further solidified Yoshi’s ground for a spectacular Dodgers debut. Apart from being a major part of the Dodgers’ first pitch presentation for Yoshi, Shohei Ohtani has made several other gestures that factored in the team’s ability to draft Yoshinobu Yamamoto in an almost unprecedented manner.

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Influence of Ohtani on Yamamoto’s team entry, indirectly if not directly

Shohei Ohtani is a huge deal in Japan, where Yoshi’s past is rooted. Getting a chance to play with a legend of such stature would be any future baseballer’s dream. Because Yoshi actually experienced Shotime playing along with him in the WBC, it only added fuel to his dreams. Dreams that were realized by Ohtani’s contract with the Dodgers. It seems like a weird connection to make, doesn’t it?

Well, that is exactly what happened when the Unicorn’s decision to put away $680 million of his $700 million deal with the Boys in Blue as a future payment. The deferred agreement that Ohtani signed gave the team the chance to refocus their resources somewhere else. It was natural for them to focus $325 million of the remaining resources on Yamamoto, as he was the next best thing available in the free agency market after Shotime.

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Fans cannot wait to see Yoshinobu Yamamoto in his natural aggressive stance along with the greatness of Ohtani, beginning with the 2024 games that are almost knocking at the doors!