Sources say Phillies should be one of the top suitors for Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Here’s why he could be a fit.

PHILADELPHIA — Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has said publicly that signing Aaron Nola is their top offseason priority. But Nola, a free agent, has plenty of suitors, and it’s no guarantee that he returns to Philadelphia. If he doesn’t, the Phillies are strongly considering right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto as a top-of-the-rotation starter to sign in free agency. Like many teams, the Phillies have sent scouts to see Yamamoto, but sources say their interest in him is far from cursory. “They’ve done significant work on Yamamoto,” said one National League scout. “Most teams have sent scouts to see him, but I would say the Phillies should be considered one of the top five or six suitors for his services.”

It makes sense. Yamamoto, 25, is one of the most accomplished pitchers in Nippon Professional Baseball history. He’s a two-time Pacific League MVP winner, a three-time Eiji Sawamura Award winner — given to the top starting pitcher in the league — a three-time Japanese Triple Crown winner, and a two-time Pacific League Gold Glove Award winner. He has played on a lot of winning teams, too. He won a championship with the NPB Orix Buffaloes in 2022 and helped Japan win the World Baseball Classic in 2023. That type of track record would be appealing for a team attempting to win the World Series after a 2023 playoff run ended in the NLCS. Yamamoto has a 1.82 ERA in 897 innings in seven seasons with the Buffaloes, allowing just 206 walks while striking out 922. He throws five pitches: a split-finger, a four-seam fastball, a two-seam fastball, a curveball, and a cutter/slider. In the 2023 regular season, he sat 94-95 mph, but his velocity ticked up in the playoffs, reaching 98-99 mph with some regularit

“He is a very good manipulator of the baseball,” said another major league scout, who has seen Yamamoto in person. “He can make it run, spin, sink, cut, curve, and dive. It’s just something that he does naturally. He has a natural feel for the baseball in his hand.” As with most pitchers who transition to Major League Baseball from different leagues, there is a degree of unknown here. Pitchers in the NPB often work on six days of rest. Yamamoto pitched deep into games, but logged 23 starts for the Buffaloes last season. For

reference, Nola and starter Zack Wheeler each logged 32 starts for the Phillies in 2023. The baseball used in the NPB is tackier than the one used in MLB, which can sometimes affect pitch characteristics. The mounds between the two leagues can vary, too. Pitchers in the NPB don’t have to travel as far to play opposing teams as they do in MLB.