The Los Angeles Dodgers have a spring training game on Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels, as the club prepares for the 2026 season. However, with a new year of baseball on the horizon, manager Dave Roberts just can't get over Yoshinobu Yamamoto's performance in the 2025 World Series.

While in an interview on “Dodgers Territory,” Yamamoto became the center of the conversation, as Roberts was asked about the 27-year-old starting pitcher's ability to step up for Los Angeles in the most important games of the season. Roberts praised Yamamoto for his efforts in the World Series once again.

“I just have the utmost respect for him,” said Roberts about Yamamoto. “He was pushed beyond limits. It just doesn't happen… What Yamamoto did, he said it early on, losing is not an option. We needed every single inning and performance that he gave us to get [through the playoffs]… What he did will be talked about for years.”

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Dave Roberts also referenced Yamamoto as “one of the great ones” for wanting to put his World Series performance in the past and shift his full focus to the 2026 season. Yoshinobu Yamamoto has said several times already that he does not want to be viewed as a legend or a hero, and just simply wants to play baseball.

Yamamoto earned the World Series MVP Award for his efforts in the championship series. Not only did he pitch a complete game in the 5-1 Game 2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays, but he also earned three wins total in the series. Yoshinobu held the Blue Jays to just one run through six innings in Game 6, then turned around and came out of the bullpen in Game 7 to help clinch the title.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto is entering his third MLB season. He is coming off a spectacular 2025 campaign where he ended with a 2.49 ERA and 0.990 WHIP while recording 201 strikeouts and a 60.0% winning percentage.