His last start not withstanding, Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been dominant for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025. That doesn't mean the second-year Major Leaguer has had it easy.

Speaking to school children in LA on Tuesday, he admitted that he struggles with loneliness while pitching in the United States with most of his friends still back home in Japan.

That's not to say Yamamoto is completely on his own with the Dodgers. He is close with fellow Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki and, along with Shohei Ohtani, even played a role in recruiting him to Los Angeles in the offseason.

“Shohei and Yoshi were very helpful, very influential, very involved with him on a personal level,” a source told the Los Angeles Times about Sasaki's recruitment.

But loneliness wasn't the only topic of conversation. Asked who his most stylish teammate is, he answered Kiké Hernandez, adding, “So much of what he wears looks really cool.”

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Yamamoto also took time to read a biography of Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki to the kids with the help of a translator. It was part of a Dual Immersion Storytime activity with LA Reads, a program that the Dodgers created to fight the city's notoriously low literacy rate.

“I’m very thankful to have been given this opportunity,” Yamamoto said at the event per Dodger Insider. “I think it was great to see (a) Japanese (player) come here to inspire them to become successful.”

And of course the day wouldn't have been complete without the World Series champion sharing some advice to the elementary school kids hoping to play in the big leagues one day.

“Don’t forget the enjoyment and fun of baseball,” he said.

Yamamoto is on line to pitch again on Friday when the Dodgers visit the St. Louis Cardinals. Even after giving up four runs in 3.2 innings against the New York Yankees over the weekend, he still has a 2.39 ERA and 1.005 WHIP.