Boston Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida said Friday he expects former teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto to do well in Major League Baseball, where he'll debut this year with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Yoshida and Yamamoto played together for the Orix Buffaloes of Japan's Pacific League. Yoshida moved to MLB last season after two straight PL pennants and a Japan Series championship in 2022.
The 25-year-old Yamamoto, the PL's MVP the past three seasons, joined the Dodgers over the winter on the largest contract ever offered to an MLB pitcher.
"It's amazing that he was so highly regarded without having ever played in the majors," Yoshida said in Tokyo. "Going over as young as he is, it's the best time for him. He'll be fine. I'm looking forward to facing him."
Yoshida had been training in Okinawa, practicing and working to get stronger. After playing in 140 games in 2023 and being confounded by MLB's tougher schedule, he said one 2024 goal was to play in all 162 regular-season games and win the World Series.
"I'm calculating how I could have managed my routine and my sleep schedule and so on. I'll be OK if I can make the appropriate adjustments," said Yoshida, who batted .289 with 15 home runs and 72 RBIs.
