This is crazy. How was this combination possible? The strongest three shots ever made me excited
Feb 16, 2025
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The LA Dodgers released a photo taken in the locker room on its official SNS account on the 15th (Korea time). In the photo, a trio of Japanese players, led by Roki Sasaki, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani, are sitting on chairs in comfortable clothes and smiling brightly.
It's not just one picture. This is a cut that is no different from the opening ceremony of the three strongest players, which shows the Dodgers' hopes and expectations this season.
Even in Japan, home country, the reaction to this photo is very hot. Japanese baseball fans expressed tremendous interest in "Dream Trioda,"Three Shot" which means the most to Japanese fans" and "It's my pleasure to watch these three pitches."
The Dodgers' start of 'Japanese fever' was the recruitment of Ohtani. Ohtani, the only pitching and hitting player in the Major League, who was the FA's biggest fish last year, was awarded a 10-year, $700 million (about 1.105 trillion won) contract in professional sports history.
He then hired Yamamoto, the best pitcher in Japanese professional baseball. Although he dominated the Japanese stage, he offered a super-high-end contract of $325 million (about 469.2 billion won) for 12 years, the longest period in major league pitcher history, to a pitcher who is still a rookie in the Major League.
Last year, the Dodgers enjoyed the effect of recruiting Ohtani and Yamamoto. Yamamoto, who had difficulty adapting early, quickly got back on track, and Ohtani won the unanimous National League MVP by playing only as a designated hitter. The team also achieved a great achievement of winning the World Series.
It didn't stop there. The Dodgers had another 'Japanese special' in this stove league. He became the final winner in the battle for Sasaki Rocky, which is considered the best talent in Japanese professional baseball.
Sasaki announced his entry into the Major League through the posting system with the consent of his original team, Chiba Lotte Marines. More than 20 clubs entered the Sasaki recruitment race, and the final winner was the Dodgers. According to the U.S.-Japan player agreement, Sasaki, who is under the age of 25, was only able to sign a minor league contract, and the Dodgers even held Sasaki for a down payment of $6.5 million (about 9.3 billion won) and an annual salary of $760,000 (about 1.1 billion won).
As a result, the Dodgers acquired all of the Japanese national team's 1-2-3 starters. Expectations for the team's performance this season are also all-time. Ohtani is preparing to return to the pitcher for the first time in a year and a half, while Yamamoto and Sasaki are expected to join the starting rotation.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.