Jordan Yamamoto

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Jordan Yamamoto

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Biographical Information[edit]

Pitcher Jordan Yamamoto, a native of Hawaii, was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 12th round of the 2014 amateur draft. His first professional stop was with the AZL Brewers in 2-14, where he went 0-1, 4.57 in 10 games and 21 2/3 innings. In 2015, he moved to the Helena Brewers of the Pioneer League, going 1-6, 7.84 in 14 games. He improved dramatically in 2016, however, as he was 7-8, 3.82 in 27 games (18 starts) with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers of the Midwest League. He logged 134 133 innings and struck out 152 batters, against just 31 walks. He continued to improve in 2017, finishing at 9-4, 2.51 in 22 games; he struck out 113 batters in 111 innings.

On January 25, 2018, he was traded to the Miami Marlins along with OFs Lewis Brinson and Monte Harrison and IF Isan Diaz in return for OF Christian Yelich. He pitched 13 times that season, including 3 starts on a rehabilitation outing with the GCL Marlins. His other appearances were in Class A with the Jupiter Hammerheads and in AA with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp for a combined record of 6-1, 1.83 and 85 strikeouts in 68 2/3 innings. He pitched in the Arizona Fall League after the season and continued to excel, going 3-0, 2.08 in 6 starts.

Yamamoto started the 2019 season back in Jacksonville. After 12 starts, he was 3-5, 3.58 when he was called up to Miami to start against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 12th, filling in for an injured José Ureña. He was dazzling that day, as he pitched seven scoreless innings and laid down a perfect squeeze bunt to lead Miami to a 9-0 win. Garrett Cooper hit a grand slam in support of his pitching. he was at it again in his second start, again facing the Cards on June 18th. He pitched another seven scoreless frames and this time recorded a 6-0 win. Overall, he went 4-5, 4.46 in 15 starts with over one strikeout per inning in what was a promising rookie season.

However, the 2020 season was turned upside down for the Marlins, even more than for most teams. The COVID-19 pandemic wiped out two thirds of the season, and an outbreak among team members only a few days into the belated season caused additional upheaval. The Marlins made a record number of player moves to cope with the outbreak, and Yamamoto was one of the chief victims, continually shuttling between the major league roster and the team's alternate training site, without ever securing a regular spot. As a result of this, Yamamoto made just four outings in the majors, three as a starter and one in relief. That last outing was historically bad: against the Atlanta Braves on September 9th, he took over for starter Pablo Lopez with two out in the 2nd inning, after Lopez had been rocked for 7 runs, and he was asked to take one for the team. He pitched 2 2/3 innings, giving up 11 hits including 4 homers and being charged with 13 runs (12 earned), the all-time record for a relief outing. The Marlins suffered the worst defeat in their history that day, 29-9. To make things worse, in his previous outing, a start against the New York Mets on August 17th, he had allowed 3 runs in one inning and a third - and that was the fewest he allowed in a game all season! He was not used again after the beatdown by the Braves, although he made a couple more round trips to to the alternate training site, and ended the year with an ugly line of 0-1, 18.26.

On February 1, 2021, the Marlins traded Yamamoto to the New York Mets in return for IF Federico Polanco. The trade came less than a week after the Marlins had him designated for assignment.

Further Reading[edit]

  • Gabe Lacques: "Part of the Christian Yelich trade, Marlins rookie Jordan Yamamoto inspires hope in Miami", USA Today, July 5, 2019. [1]

Related Sites[edit]

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