Orix Buffaloes ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto led the Pacific League in wins, ERA, strikeouts and win percentage for the third year in a row, becoming the first player in Japanese professional baseball history to achieve the feat upon Tuesday's conclusion of the regular season.
The 25-year-old right-hander propelled the reigning Japan Series champions to their third consecutive PL pennant after going 16-6 with a 1.21 ERA. He had 169 strikeouts and registered a .727 win percentage.
After making a slight tweak to his pitching mechanics, Yamamoto increased his velocity and allowed just two home runs, a career low, in 2023.
"My throwing power has gotten stronger," said Yamamoto, who also reduced his walks to 28 from the previous season's 42. "I'm making good progress."
Despite concerns within the Buffaloes clubhouse that his technique change could stress his elbow, Yamamoto was ultimately vindicated after sticking to his guns.
Yamamoto credited Orix manager Satoshi Nakajima for him barely missing a game this season despite having a big role in Japan's World Baseball Classic triumph in March.
"It's all thanks to Manager Nakajima and his management of the pitching rotation and pitch count, as well as support from our training staff," Yamamoto said.
The Buffaloes will face the winner of the PL Climax Series first stage between the Lotte Marines and SoftBank Hawks for a place in the Japan Series.
