Giants introduce Yoshinobu Yamamoto to Cainings

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 21: Ryan Walker #74 of the San Francisco Giants celebrates a win against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Oracle Park on April 21, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Suzanna Mitchell/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images The San Francisco Giants have not developed a reputation for intelligence early this season, but on Tuesday they did something very, very smart. They jumped on Yoshinobu Yamamoto early.

You’re familiar with Yamamoto. You hoped he was as good as everyone said he was when the Giants appeared determined to not be outbid for his services two years ago. You feared that he was as good as everyone said he was when he instead signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

You confirmed that he was as good as everyone said he was when did his best Madison Bumgarner impression last fall while leading the Dodgers to a second consecutive championship, collecting a World Series MVP award and a top-three Cy Young finish along the way. So the Giants did the sensible thing. They pounced before Yamamoto had time to realize where he was.

Willy Adames led off the bottom of the first inning with an infield single, and took second on an error by shortstop Hyeseong Kim. Luis Arráez followed by doing the one thing he does better than anyone on the planet: hitting a single. Yamamoto was just seven pitches in, and found himself both in trouble and unsure what had happened.