When Yamamoto was asked if he “feels like a Dodger legend,” he quickly shook his head without saying a word. When asked why he didn’t think so, Yamamoto shut down further investigation.
Despite only playing two seasons for the Dodgers in the MLB, Yamamoto has already cemented himself in Dodgers history with two World Series wins and a 2025 World Series MVP.
He took over the 2025 postseason, throwing two straight complete games in the NLCS and World Series while maintaining a 1.45 ERA over the course of 37.1 innings pitched. In the World Series, he allowed just two runs in 17.2 innings pitched, finishing Game 7 without taking a full day of rest.
How did Yoshinobu Yamamoto perform during the regular season?
Even without his phenomenal postseason numbers in 2025, Yamamoto had a fantastic year.
He made 30 starts last season and posted a 2.49 ERA through 173.2 innings pitched. He reached the 200 strikeout mark for the first time in his career and nearly tripled his bWAR in just 12 more starts than his rookie season. For his efforts, the right-hander received his first All-Star selection and finished third in the NL Cy Young voting.
Could Yoshinobu Yamamoto win the Cy Young Award in 2026?
Yamamoto has made a huge leap from his rookie year to 2025, and if he succeeds again in 2026, he could very well be in with a shot at the award.
He is without a doubt one of the best pitchers in the MLB and already has a good chance of winning the award. However, his competition is tough as he must overtake Paul Skenes to take home his first Cy Young award.
Skenes had a 1.97 ERA last season, with an MLB-leading 1.97 ERA and 217 ERA+.
Still took Yamamoto. He is making a huge step forward and will try to do this again in 2026. That won’t be his only focus this season, however, as the Dodgers are also in the hunt for a historic three-peat next season.
Is Yoshinobu Yamamoto the team’s best starter right now?
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