The Los Angeles Dodgers will begin their quest for a third straight World Series on Saturday. They will begin their Spring Training Cactus League games.
On Thursday, it was announced that Dave Roberts chose Yoshinobu Yamamoto to start against the Los Angeles Angels, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. It was an honor befitting a popular and effective pitcher.
Last season, Yamamoto finished the season with a 12-8 record, 2.49 ERA, and 201 strikeouts. Also, he was on the mound for the decisive Game 7 in the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays. He came on in relief for the final out of one of the most memorable World Series games ever.
This was after he had pitched in Game 6. Ultimately, Yamamoto went 3-0 and had a 1.02 ERA on the way to becoming the World Series MVP.
Yamamoto has been with the Dodgers since 2024. Previously, he had pitched for the Orix Buffaloes of the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan. In 2023, Yamamoto signed a 12-year $325 millilion contract with the Dodgers.
So far, Yamamoto has an MLB record of 19-10 with a 2.66 ERA and 306 strikeouts. In Japan, he compiled a 70-29 record, 1.82 ERA, and 922 strikeouts.
Also, he was a five-time NPB All-Star (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023). With the Dodgers, Yamamoto is a two-time World Series champion and an MLB All-Star in 2025.
In 2021, he was part of the Japanese national team that won the Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo Games.
This March, Yamamoto will join alongside his teammate Shohei Ohtani in representing Japan in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
He played on the Japanese team in 2023, which went on to win the WBC.
