Yoshinobu Yamamoto Modeled 2-Seam Fastball After HOF Pitcher
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Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto learned how to throw his two-seam fastball after Hall of Fame starting pitcher Randy Johnson spoke about the pitch on Japanese television.
“Randy Johnson was on Japanese TV one time to talk about his two-seamer, and I just happened to be watching TV,” Yamamoto told Manny Mota. “So I tried it out the next day at practice and it moved a little. That made me want to keep working on it and it got better and better and then I started being able to use it in games.”
Yamamoto’s two-seamer, which baseballsavant.com categorizes as a sinker, has an average velocity of 94.8 mph — marginally higher than the 94.0 league average velocity. The All-Star utilizes the pitch 8% of the time and it has an 18.9% put away percentage, ranking fifth among his other options.
The right-hander ranked in the 99th percentile in fastball run value in MLB last season, finishing the year with the same mark as NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes.
Who is Randy Johnson?
Johnson is one of the best starting pitchers of all time, having won a World Series and five Cy Young awards to go with his 10 All-Star appearances during his 22-season MLB career. He ranks second behind Nolan Ryan in the all-time strikeout leaderboards with 4,875.
The Big Unit is one of two pitchers to win four consecutive Cy Young awards, the other being Greg Maddux. Johnson also has a World Series MVP.
He wasn’t explicitly known for his two-seamer, as his four-seamer and slider were both extremely effective pitches, but it still served as a fantastic complementary pitch which built him into the legend he is today.
Will Yoshinobu Yamamoto Win His First Cy Young in 2026?
While Yamamoto could very well take his first Cy Young award in 2026, the competition in the National League is stiff.
Pittsburgh Pirates starter Paul Skenes has taken the league by storm over the past couple of seasons, and hasn’t shown any sign of slowing down.
That being said, Yamamoto showed massive improvement in his second season with the Dodgers in 2025, posting a 2.49 ERA through 30 starts and placing third in Cy Young voting. If the pitcher can perform how he did in the World Series throughout the regular season, it’ll be hard to argue he shouldn’t be the winner.
