Almost every contending MLB team is interested in signing the 25-year-old superstar pitcher from Japan. Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched to a 1.72 career ERA in seven seasons in the NPB.
One team that is currently a favorite to land Yamamoto is the New York Mets, and their current ace Kodai Senga has reportedly been pitching for his team to bring in the young phenom according to The Athletic's Will Sammon.
Sammon also stated, "People familiar with Yamamoto's thinking suggest he wants to go where he believes he can be most successful and adjust the fastest."
Could the Mets All-Star be the perfect recruiter for Yamamoto?
After spending 11 seasons in Japan, Senga finished his career with a 2.42 ERA and won five Japan Series championships. The current Mets ace believes in his team and had a great first season in New York.
Senga was elected to the National League All-Star team and is currently a finalist for the NL Rookie of the Year Award. After going 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA, he is the favorite to take home the award.
If Yamamoto wants to find success quickly, he could benefit by joining the Mets rotation with Senga. New York would love to bring him in, as they had a 4.31-team ERA, which ranked 19th in MLB.
Mets owner Steve Cohen is a fan of Japanese professional baseball, as he attended a Team Japan WBC game this past winter. With his deep pockets, New York will have an advantage over other teams around the league.
Luckily, on top of the money he has to offer, his current ace could be the perfect recruiter for the 25-year-old superstar. Senga has become a fan favorite rather quickly in New York. If he recruits Yamamoto, then Senga will become even more beloved by Mets fans.
