Orix ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who was selected as MVP = Best Player for the second consecutive year in professional baseball and the Pacific League, has renewed his contract with an annual salary of 650 million yen, which is estimated to be the highest amount of the team.
On top of that, he again showed his willingness to challenge the major leagues after the off season next season.
Pitcher Yamamoto is 24 years old from Okayama Prefecture.
In his sixth year this season, he achieved 15 wins, including his first no-hitter against Seibu in June. Won all 4 titles.
He was also selected as the "Sawamura Award" given to the most active starter complete pitcher and the Pacific League MVP = Best Player for the second year in a row.
Pitcher Yamamoto negotiated a contract at a team facility in Konohana Ward, Osaka on the 27th, and both estimated that the contract was renewed for 650 million yen, an increase of 280 million yen from this season.
At ORIX, the estimated annual salary for the 2018 season when Chihiro Kaneko, who announced his retirement, was enrolled, exceeds 600 million yen, which is the highest amount in the team at the moment.
Yamamoto said, "The team said, 'Thank you for contributing to Japan's No. However, there were games where we conceded a lot of goals, so we need to improve our skills and human power."
Looking ahead to the next season, he said, "I want to do my best to win the league title for the third time in a row and win Japan for the second time in a row."
On the other hand, after acknowledging that he has continued to convey his intentions to the team regarding the challenge of the major leagues, which he has always wanted, he said, "Since it is the top league in the baseball world, I have a feeling that I want to play there. Masanao Yoshida from the team side. Just like the player's permission to challenge the major league, there was talk that it was not bad at all," he said, showing his willingness again.