The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched the NL West in emphatic fashion Thursday night, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto was right in the middle of it. The 26-year-old ace became the first Dodger pitcher since Walker Buehler in 2021 to record a 200-strikeout season, fanning seven over six scoreless innings in an 8-0 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Yamamoto’s sixth strikeout of the night marked No. 200 on the year, a milestone that capped his second MLB season in style. He finished 2025 with a 12-8 record, a 2.49 ERA, and 201 strikeouts across 173.2 innings. He’s also just the seventh Japanese-born pitcher to reach the 200-strikeout plateau.
The outing was a reminder of why Los Angeles invested so heavily in him before the 2024 season, when they signed him to a 12-year, $325 million contract without him ever throwing a big-league pitch. After showing promise in 18 starts as a rookie, Yamamoto became a postseason hero during the Dodgers’ 2024 World Series run. Now, he’s established himself as one of the game’s premier starters — and an anchor heading into another October push.
Dodgers clinch NL West on Thursday
“I get asked about him a lot, but the truth is, he just gives us everything you want in an ace,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said earlier this month. “The poise, the arsenal, the competitiveness — he’s been tremendous.”
Yamamoto had no shortage of offensive support Thursday, something that had been rare during his starts this year. The Dodgers jumped all over Arizona, with Freddie Freeman hitting two home runs for his second multi-homer game of 2025, and Shohei Ohtani belting his 54th blast of the season to tie his own franchise record. Andy Pages also went deep, as Los Angeles stormed ahead early and never looked back.
Ohtani’s latest milestone only added to what has been another MVP-caliber campaign, but the story of the night belonged to Yamamoto, who gave the Dodgers everything they needed to seal both the win and the division. The performance also ensured Los Angeles finished with a winning record against Arizona, their most troublesome divisional rival this season.
The Dodgers now turn their attention to the postseason, where Yamamoto will be leaned on again to set the tone. If his 200-strikeout season is any indication, the club has its ace for the present — and for years to come.
