Yamamoto's success hinges on the training methods that have captured the attention of Dodgers camp.
The most fascinating pitcher to take a major-league mound this season doesn’t possess a black book of secrets but a black bag. Within Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s duffel are his unorthodox tools of the trade. There is an assortment of miniature soccer balls and wooden blocks, along with a yoga mat and set of javelins that have been the talk of spring training.
In the interim, he would travel to Osaka, seeking to meet with and exchange ideas with Yada. After all, for as much research that has been poured into optimizing pitching and velocity, there have yet to be any tangible answers for keeping pitchers — small or large — healthy. Advertisement “I don’t think anyone in Major League Baseball would say that we have training methods for pitchers figured out,” Carr said this winter.