Starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto hasn't thrown a pitch in the big leagues yet. That hasn't stopped him from grabbing countless headlines and already making history. When you sign the richest pitcher contract ever for 12 years and $325 million, that kind of stuff is bound to happen.
With spring training underway for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the right-hander is already getting compared to a two-time Cy Young Award winner. That'd be longtime San Francisco Giants ace and three-time World Series champion, Tim Lincecum.
The LA Times' Dylan Hernandez heard this same comparison from both Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and starting pitcher Walker Buehler.
"Manager Dave Roberts compared Yamamoto with a former teammate from his own playing days, Tim Lincecum. The 5-foot-11 Lincecum won two Cy Young Awards with the San Francisco Giants.
"Buehler offered the same comparison.
"'We've seen a lot of examples of those guys,' Buehler said. 'Tim Lincecum is the first guy you think of, and a lot of people kind of followed that mold, I guess.'"
This mostly has to do with the similarities in their stature. During his playing days, Lincecum checked in at 5' 11" and 170 pounds, while Yamamoto is listed at 5' 10" and 176 pounds. Lincecum won those two Cy Young Awards in 2008 and 2009, which were his age-24 and age-25 campaigns. As Yamamoto prepares for his rookie season, he won't turn 26 until August 17.
For what it's worth, the Japanese hurler is entering this stage of his career with a bit more fanfare than the pitcher he's getting compared to so far during camp. He's fresh off winning three straight Sawamura awards for the Orix Buffaloes, which is the NPB version of the Cy Young Award.
The right-hander posted a 50-16 record across 557.2 innings pitched between 2021 and 2023. His highest single-season ERA during that time was a whopping 1.68, which happened in 2022. On the verge of getting to the big leagues, Yamamoto's 1.16 ERA in 2023 was his lowest.
Lincecum's career came to an abrupt halt following his age-32 season in 2016. But still, Dodgers fans would be OK with this comparison if it meant Yamamoto wins multiple Cy Young Awards, heads to more than one All-Star Game, and most importantly, wins multiple World Series titles.
