Yoshinobu Yamamoto went into his rookie season with the Los Angeles Dodgers facing plenty of expectations, both because of his talent and achievements in Japan, but also because of signing the richest contract for a pitcher in MLB history at $325 million.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto struggled in his MLB debut against the San Diego Padres during the Seoul Series last year, but otherwise had a productive first half of the 2024 season as a Los Angeles Dodgers rookie.

Roki Sasaki’s first taste of pitching against an opponent didn’t come in a Cactus League start, but instead in a ‘B’ game at Camelback Ranch that was more of a simulated situation in terms of atmosphere.