Former Orix Buffaloes ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Saturday declared his massive 12-year contract with Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers represented a new start after seven seasons in Japan.
The 25-year-old Yamamoto, who started his season by winning a world championship for Japan with his new Dodgers teammate Shohei Ohtani, moved to the National League West club via the posting system.
"I once again find myself at the starting line. I want to contribute to the team. I want to win a world (World Series) championship," Yamamoto told an Osaka press conference.
"I desire to play with a thorough sense of the responsibility I have accepted."
The past three seasons, Yamamoto has dominated Japan's Pacific League to a degree few others have ever approached, leading the league each year in wins, winning percentage, ERA and strikeouts.
He won three straight league MVP awards and was selected as the winner of the Sawamura Award for being the most impressive starting pitcher in either league each year.
Yamamoto turned pro out of high school as Orix's fourth pick in the 2016 draft. In his second pro season, he became one of Japan's top relievers before finding his true calling as a dominant starter.
"I have grown an amazing amount in seven years," he said. "I have gotten where I am because of Orix."
Since the Dodgers play in the same division as the San Diego Padres, Yamamoto will likely get to match up with one of his role models and another WBC teammate, Japanese right-hander Yu Darvish.
"I have a huge amount of respect for him," Yamamoto said. "When the day comes that I will get to pitch against him, it's going to be an incredible thrill."
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