Orix Buffaloes ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto will try to sign with a Major League Baseball team this winter via the posting system, the Pacific League club said Sunday.
In 2023, the 25-year-old right-hander extended his Nippon Professional Baseball record of leading a league in four major pitching categories -- wins, ERA, strikeouts and winning percentage -- to three seasons.
He had a 16-6 record for a .727 winning percentage with a career-best 1.21 ERA, while striking out 169 batters in 164 innings over 23 starts.
"I'd like to thank my team for accepting my request," Yamamoto said after his Buffaloes lost to the Hanshin Tigers in a decisive Game 7 of the Japan Series at Kyocera Dome Osaka.
In the past, Yamamoto had said, "I want to be No. 1 in the world's best league. It was just a dream when I was 19 and first thought about pursuing a career in the majors. But over the years, my plans have become more concrete."
"He contributed to the team so much," Orix general manager Junichi Fukura said of Yamamoto. "I wish him a good luck."
Last offseason, slugging outfielder Masataka Yoshida moved from the Buffaloes to the Boston Red Sox through the posting system.
In his illustrious career, Yamamoto also helped Japan win the Olympic baseball tournament in 2021 and the World Baseball Classic in 2023.
Orix's fourth-round pick in the 2016 NPB draft, Yamamoto has a 70-29 career record with one save and a 1.82 ERA in 172 career games over seven seasons, all with the Buffaloes.
A master of command, Yamamoto's fastball has reached as high as 159 kilometers (98.8 miles) per hour, while he possesses a variety of secondary pitches, including a superior curveball.
Once posted by the Dec. 15 deadline, Yamamoto will have 45 days to negotiate a contract with MLB clubs.
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