This MLB (Major League Baseball) off-season was full of huge blockbuster moves that are sure to excite all baseball fans. One move, however, took precedence over any other, that being the Dodgers acquisition of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Ohtani signed a ten-year, 700 million-dollar contract after much speculation of where the reigning American League MVP would sign. When Dodger fans didn’t think it could get any better, the Japanese baseball star Yoshinobu Yamamoto followed suit and signed a twelve-year, 325 million-dollar contract with the Dodgers.
Shohei Ohtani is said to be one of the best baseball players of all time by many baseball fans. He’s unstoppable on both sides of the plate as he can both strike players out and hit a home run in the same inning.
“I was scrolling on my phone and I got up and started running around. I checked Instagram to make sure it was official. I was really excited and happy about him [Shohei Ohtani] signing,” says Daunte Bell, a PEACE sophomore and player on the Millikan varsity baseball team.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is a newcomer to MLB as he has been pitching in the Nippon Professional Baseball League (the official baseball league in Japan). He has always been on the radar of many MLB teams but became even more of a young athlete to look out for after performing extremely well alongside Ohtani in the World Baseball Classic, a baseball tournament between countries, in March of 2023. They both were playing for their home country of Japan.
“A big thank you to Shohei for deciding to wear Dodger blue! I know all Dodger fans around the world are extremely happy and excited that you decided to join our organization and we welcome you to Dodger nation!” said basketball phenomenon Magic Johnson on X.
Ohtani and Yamamoto recently made their Dodger debuts in a special MLB series that took place in Seoul, South Korea. In the two game series vs SoCal rivals the San Diego Padres, Ohtani hit 3-for-10 and brought in two runs for his new team. Yamamoto on the other hand disappointed many fans. In his outing on March 21, the second game of the series, he was charged with the 15-11 loss allowing five runs to score in just the 1st inning. He was removed from the game shortly after.
Many fans have raised concerns about his recent performance as he still is adjusting to the new league. We can only hope these concerns will be put to rest as the season continues on and we see more of Yamamoto.
Baseball fans worldwide are excited to see what these two will bring as the 2024 season quickly approaches. As of right now, the duo is adapting to the new team that they hope to bring many championships to in the next decade of their respective careers.
Morgan Zimmerman • Apr 11, 2024 at 9:39 am
On March 27, 2024, Kayla Castillo wrote an article titled “Ohtani X Yamamoto”. This article follows the MLB team the Dodgers and their new acquisition of two Japanese baseball superstars: Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. This article is very well written, and provides facts, especially pertaining to the two players’ contract information, that might be otherwise unknown to those reading the article.
Castillo also effectively incorporated fan opinions that add another perspective on the situation. It’s great that she added a quote from a fellow student that is knowledgeable on the subject as it provides insight on the matter that other MLB fans can relate to. Adding background information, especially on Yamamoto as he is a newcomer to the league and less known to the public, was also helpful because it shed light on the players about their time before the Dodgers.
I also enjoyed the information about the players’ debuts on the team as I, and most likely others, were unfamiliar with this information and are happy to learn about it. Overall, Castillo wrote an excellent article about these new Dodgers and how their reuniting in the World Baseball Classic tournament turned into new teammates on the same American team.
Chiala Villanueva • Apr 10, 2024 at 1:37 pm
Throughout the article, Castillo includes information about Ohtani and Yamamoto to provide the audience with relevant facts and statistics to keep them up to date with the latest baseball media. By including accurate statistics and quotes from fellow students, Castillo is able to effectively explain the accomplishments of the baseball players. It is greatly appreciated that some background information was provided about the players’ careers because it allows readers with little prior knowledge to understand why these players are so praised, and so spotlighted in the media. This is evident when Castillo includes and connects information about Ohtani and Yamamoto’s prior success, and how they played together in the past for their home country, Japan. Also, by including the quote from a fellow student, it can allow readers to relate and become more familiar with the trending accomplishments of the two new Dodger players. Overall, Castillo wrote a well written article with precise word choice and little room for error.
Jonathan Gonzales-Heyer • Apr 10, 2024 at 10:58 am
I quite liked the article because of how knowledgeable the article was. It had many accurate statistics, such as the contract information, as well as some of the terms being used appropriately as well as being explained to a less-informed audience. It is also a quite intriguing topic about how they have been reunited from Team Japan to the Dodgers, and I believe that the discussion of this was a good choice. One suggestion that I would have is to try to explain what makes Ohtani and Yamamoto so good, potentially using statistics such as ERA (Earned Run Average (which explains how many runs a pitcher gives up that are his fault)) and WAR (Wins Above Replacement (which explains how many wins that player generated compared to a “replacement” player). My only other critique would be that the article failed to mention Ohtani’s injury, which will limit him this season, especially by preventing him from pitching this season, as he recovers from a torn UCL and is rehabbing the Tommy John Surgery. Other than that, this article was quite good, and I liked it a lot. Thank you for writing it.