The Los Angeles Dodgers know Yoshinobu Yamamoto has already delivered a World Series MVP, but the right-hander is not done chasing hardware. Fresh off a historic October run, the ace has set his sights even higher, openly targeting a Cy Young Award in 2026. That next-step ambition matches the expectation level around the franchise after back-to-back titles and a growing collection of personal accolades.
Yamamoto’s World Series MVP performance against the Toronto Blue Jays instantly vaulted him into the conversation as one of the sport’s premier big-game arms. Across three appearances, he went 3–0 with a 1.02 ERA, including a complete game and a gutsy Game 7 relief outing on zero days’ rest. For Dodgers fans, his World Series MVP showing felt like the perfect payoff to his massive contract and NPB resume.
MLB Network added more fuel to that storyline by featuring the right-hander discussing the potential of winning the award in the 2026 season during spring training on X (formerly known as Twitter). In the clip, the network highlighted how his breakthrough October only sharpened his drive to keep stacking awards and milestones.
“Yoshinobu Yamamoto had one of the best World Series performances we’ve ever seen! Now, he wants to add even more trophies to the mantle.”
Speaking through a translator to the network in the segment, Yamamoto did not shy away from his Cy Young goal.
“Yes, I would like to get the title, but we do have a lot more of the great pitchers in the same league. But I would like to get the title.”
That public admission cements his Cy Young pursuit as one of the central Dodgers storylines entering 2026. For Los Angeles, having its World Series MVP openly eye the league’s top pitching award only reinforces how high the standard has become. If his World Series form carries over six months, the conversation may quickly shift from whether he can win a Cy Young to how many trophies this Dodgers run ultimately produces.
