Los Angeles Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto will attempt to help his club stave off elimination when he takes the mound for their Game 6 World Series bout against the Toronto Blue Jays, and he also seems to have much larger aspirations in mind.
Yamamoto stated that he would like to surpass what future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw has been able to accomplish.
“I think from my heart that I want to be an ace pitcher like Kershaw, and I want to do my best to one day surpass my great senior,” Yamamoto told Dodger Nation.
With Kershaw set to retire at the end of the World Series, Yamamoto is positioned to be the Dodgers’ top starting pitcher for years to come. The 27-year-old has been exceptional across his first two seasons in Los Angeles. He posted a 3.00 ERA through 18 starts in 2024 and a 2.49 ERA through 30 starts in 2025.
Additionally, the Bizen native has earned a 2.47 ERA through the first 47.1 innings of his postseason career. It is clear that his teammates have faith in him ahead of Game 6.
“You’re not supposed to keep getting better after he did that in Japan, and he did what he did last year,” Dodgers outfielder Kike Hernández told Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. “You’re not supposed to keep getting better, and he’s finding a way to do it.”
Yamamoto might not eclipse Kershaw, who has won three Cy Young Awards and an MVP, anytime soon, but he could help his cause by delivering another elite performance in a must-win situation.
“The right guy,” outfielder Hernández said, “at the right time.”
