Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto had plenty to think about in his spring training debut, from the impression he would leave in his first game with his new team, to how he would use the game to prepare for the 2024 season.
Yamamoto's two-inning effort against the Texas Rangers last Wednesday saw the right-hander throw only 19 pitches, 16 for strikes. He faced the minimum six batters. Clearly, pitch-tipping wasn't an issue. Or was it?
During the live game broadcast, SportsNet LA color analyst Rick Monday was able to identify what pitches Yamamoto was throwing while the pitcher held the ball in his hand on the mound.
"One thing I've already noticed: when he comes set, looking in for the sign, center field camera, I could tell the previous pitch ... it was a splitter. Why? You could see it in the glove."
— Rick Monday, via SportsNet LA
Stealing signs via electronic devices and communicating them to hitters in real time is expressly prohibited by Major League Baseball. Although sign-stealing only rarely erupts to the point of scandal, it's well-known around MLB that teams will take any tip they can get from the opposing team about what pitch is coming.
It's unclear exactly how an opposing team would capitalize on the center-field camera angle in Camelback Ranch — or anywhere — to learn and communicate Yamamoto's pitches to their hitters in real time.
It's also unclear whether Yamamoto consciously chose not to focus on this risk in his first start, or whether he was unaware the camera angle posed a risk.
Either way, the Rangers seemed not to have any advantage Wednesday. Still, Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior implied he would raise the point with Yamamoto.
Speaking to the Orange County Register, Prior said Yamamoto might not be as familiar with that aspect of the game here because “from my understanding, that’s not something as actively practiced in the NPB. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but that’s my understanding, where obviously over here it’s much more of an active program by pretty much all 30 teams.”
“It’s not really a big concern for me at this point. As it gets closer to the season, I’ll fix it and talk to the coaches. It was the same in Japan. When the season starts, I’ll make those adjustments.”
— Yoshinobu Yamamoto, via the Orange County Register
The Dodgers signed Yamamoto to a record-setting $325 million contract in December.
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