Red Sox Reportedly Scouting Highly Coveted Japanese Ace Sporting 1.79 ERA

If Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom takes one note away from the 2023 season, it should be how badly he needs to upgrade the rotation this winter.

The upcoming free-agent class is absolutely stacked with high-end starting pitching, including one of the most highly-anticipated international players in recent memory — and the Red Sox appear to have interest.

Boston was one of eight teams who sent scouts to watch Orix Buffaloes ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s most recent start according to Hochi News.

Yamamoto is 8-3 with a 1.79 ERA, 94-to-12 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 0.87 WHIP in 85 1/3 innings across 12 starts this season.

The 24-year-old rising superstar is the back-to-back reigning Eiji Sawamura Award winner — which is Nippon Professional Baseball’s Cy Young Award.

Yamamoto is 62-26 with a 1.94 ERA, 847-to-190 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and 0.94 WHIP in 818 1/3 innings across his seven seasons in the NPB.

As is the case with many Japanese aces, Yamamoto features a devastating forkball. The right-hander also is known for his curveball, which syncs well with his heater and has an aggressive vertical drop. His fastball sits in the mid-90s but can climb into the high-90s when needed.

As it stands now, Yamamoto features a six-pitch mix, as many Japanese pitchers prefer having a large arsenal over mastering two-to-four pitches. We’ll see how or if he adjusts his approach when he comes stateside.

The Red Sox could have a big advantage in the Yamamoto sweepstakes, as his former Buffaloes and Team Japan teammate Masataka Yoshida has acclimated very well in Boston. There’s a chance Yoshida is a large focal point of the recruiting pitch.

If that does become the case, the Red Sox could be front-runners for one of the top hurlers in the class. Given that Bloom has used this season to reset the luxury tax, he should be able to spend at will this winter.