Dwyer hires former Marlins pitcher Jordan Yamamoto as head baseball coach
Dwyer High School made a big league hire for its baseball program Monday with the announcement of former Miami Marlins pitcher Jordan Yamamoto as its next head coach.
The Dwyer athletic department's statement confirmed recent speculation linking Yamamoto as the successor to previous head coach Alex Morales.
Yamamoto's return to north Palm Beach County is full circle of sorts − or coincidences.
Capping a 10-year career in the pros, the 27 year-old, nicknamed 'Yami', announced his retirement on March 13. He was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers after signing a minor league contract with the club in January.
However, Yamamoto's hiatus from the diamond was brief, now due to man the bucket in the backyard of Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, where he once manned the mound for the Jupiter Hammerheads and paved his way to the majors.
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Yamamoto makes waves in local baseball community years later
The Hawaii native skipped a full-ride scholarship to the University of Arizona to be selected by Milwaukee Brewers in the 12th round of the 2014 draft, landing in South Florida four years later by way of the Christian Yelich trade.
In seven starts with Jupiter in 2018, Yamamoto recorded a career-low 1.55 ERA. He ended the year with an ERA of 1.85 on the season and a spot on the Marlins' 40-man roster.
When he arrived in Jupiter, Yamamoto couldn't have guessed that. Or that his host family, the Ahearns, would become his in-laws.
Guess again.
In October 2019, four months after throwing seven scoreless innings for a win over the Cardinals in his MLB debut at Marlins Park, Yamamoto popped the question to their daughter, Madison.
The destined pair was married in December 2020 and welcomed a daughter, Rayne, last February.
Consider it happenstance that Madison was a star athlete in high school, a 2013 graduate of what's to be her husband's workplace − and that Yamamoto will be coaching the varsity baseball team of her little brother. Now in his third year with the Colorado Rockies organization, Tyler Ahearn committed to Florida State as a pitching standout at Dwyer in 2016 ahead of transferring to IMG Academy for his senior season.
Ahearn's team was the last Dwyer crew to make it to the state semifinal until Morales returned the Panthers to the final four in 2021.
Where does Dwyer stand after 2023 season?
This spring, Dwyer (18-8-2) missed fell just short of reaching the state semifinals, losing on a two-run walkoff to Doral Academy.
Losing Kris Blanks to Santa Fe, power hitter Matt Davis to FSU, Corey Goldstick to Emory, and shortstop Bradley Link to Michigan among 10 graduates left the Panther offense fairly depleted.
However, Dwyer's 2024 class has always been known for its arms, which include South Florida commit Kody Morgan and ace Nick Rovitti, along with Ben Lubeck, Dawson Thrush, and Jordan Peterman. From time to time, there's also an appearance from USF third baseman commit Bryce Jackson.
Whether his inaugural arsenal is another happy chance for Yamamoto, or simply a pairing meticulously planned by Dwyer administration, a coach straight out of the pros combined with a returning squad scorned suggest another promising era for Panther baseball.
State championships for football and basketball already reside in the expanding trophy case at Dwyer High. Time will tell if drafting Yamamoto brings the hardware to complete the triple crown.
Emilee Smarr is the high school sports reporter for the Palm Beach Post. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Former Marlins pitcher Jordan Yamamoto hired to coach Dwyer baseball
