Back in April 2018, a 15-year-old Paul Skenes watched Shohei Ohtani make his pitching debut at Angel Stadium from the stands. 6 years later, Skenes, now a Cy Young Award winner, is taking notes from Ohtani and the Dodgers ace, Ohtani’s compatriot Yoshinobu Yamamoto, on how to remain in top shape.

After posting consecutive sub-2.00 ERA seasons, Skenes posted a 3.82 ERA and a 10-11 record this year. His average four-seam fastball velocity dropped from 98.8 mph (2024) and 98.2 mph (2025) to 96.8 mph in 2026. Hence, Skenes is turning to Japan to regain his dominant form in 2027. In his recent trip to Japan, Skenes revealed how much he follows Ohtani and Yamamoto.

According to Dodgers Nation, “Skenes visited the Nihonbashi Nishikawa main store in Tokyo, where he underwent a full-body assessment and had custom bedding and a pillow made for him. Skenes also spotted a life-size cutout of Shohei Ohtani in the store and said, ‘Everyone in America knows how much Shohei values sleep and recovery. Knowing that I can sleep in the same top-tier environment as him is very reassuring.'”

The two-way superstar, Shohei Ohtani, prioritizes rest to handle the physical demands of a 162-game season. Getting 12 hours of sleep per day is a key part of Ohtani’s routine in order to recover after each game. He splits his rest time between 10 hours of daily sleep and a 2-hour pre-game nap. Notably, the Japanese phenom does not use an alarm clock and prefers to wake up naturally. However, for all these factors to work out perfectly, Ohtani needs the correct bedding, and Japanese company Nishikawa provides him with exactly that.

Ohtani partnered with Nishikawa, which 3D-scanned his body to build a custom $3,000 medium-firm mattress and a firmer-than-average custom pillow. During road games, Ohtani carries a portable version of his Nishikawa mattress as a topper for hotel beds.

Though Ohtani has yet to win the Cy Young Award, this routine has clearly helped the four-time MVP to remain at the top of his game. Despite his struggles this year, Ohtani posted a stellar 1.79 ERA across 10 starts before he was shut down from pitching. He batted .275 with 30 home runs and 81 RBIs amid injury setbacks.

Furthermore, Ohtani is also one of the top contenders for the NL MVP for the third consecutive season. Hence, Skenes found it worth looking into the secrets of Ohtani’s continued success, especially after the Pirates’ ace struggled this season. Now, the 24-year-old will be using custom bedding from the same Japanese company as Ohtani.

While Ohtani is someone Paul Skenes looks up to, Yoshinobu Yamamoto equally inspires him as a pitcher.

“When asked about the pitchers he currently admires, Skenes put him [Yamamoto] right at the top of the list. He said that Yama is the best example in the major leagues of how different pitches can create a synergistic effect and noted how he uses his fastball effectively to set up his curveball and splitter,” per Dodgers Nation.

“He [Skenes] also highlighted his [Yamamoto] process, stating, ‘There is a very clear intention behind every movement, and his routine between starts is incredibly meticulous. That is precisely why I believe Yoshinobu Yamamoto is a true pitcher.'”

Yamamoto relies on a specific pitching technique to generate the desired results. His body mobility and unconventional training methods, like no heavy lifting, allow his 5-foot-10 frame to generate 97+ mph fastballs with minimal joint stress.

Yamamoto wastes very little energy during his delivery, creating a high-velocity whip effect by using his lead leg as a hard pivot to brake his body. His 2.1 cm release point variation across all pitches makes it challenging for opposing hitters to anticipate his next pitch. Yamamoto owns a 2.61 ERA across 76 career starts in his three seasons in MLB. He and Skenes both debuted in 2024. But they are in very different stages of their career.

Yamamoto signed a 12-year, $325 million deal with the Dodgers, the largest pitching contract in MLB so far, while 2023 No.1 draft pick Skenes is still under team control. He will become an unrestricted free agent after the 2029 season.

However, for now, Skenes will follow his inspirations to maintain his dominance in the game.

The post Paul Skenes’ Recent Japan Visit Exposes Just How Much He Looks Up to the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani & Yamamoto appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.