Los Angeles Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto will take the mound in a critical situation for Game 2 on Monday, Oct. 11.
It’s unlikely to faze him.
The Dodgers lost to the Milwaukee Brewers in the opening game of the National League Championship Series; falling behind two games could be a fatal blow. Delivering in high-stakes situations is one of the things that define Yamamoto's dominance.
Yamamoto, a 28-year-old righthander, started Game 2 of the 2025 NLCS against the Brewers. He pitched a complete-game, allowing one run on three hits with seven strikeouts in the Dodgers’ 2-1 victory. But what defined him took place in the 2025 World Series.
Against the Toronto Blue Jays, Yamamoto started two games and won both, allowing just two runs in 15 innings.
Then he closed out Game 7, pitching 2 2/3 scoreless innings as the Dodgers won 5-4 in 11 innings and Yamamoto won the World Series MVP.
This year, in his only postseason appearance, Yamamoto allowed one run in seven innings with 10 strikeouts in the Dodgers’ 3-1 victory against the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS.
Location, location, location
Thanks to his exceptional pitching mechanics, Yamamoto is among the league’s best pitchers as defined by pitch location and control. During the 2026 regular season, his strikeout-to-walk rate was 4.33, 11th best in the majors.
Sturdy
Yamamoto is dependable.
During the 2026 regular season, Yamamoto shared the league lead with 22 quality starts – pitching at least six innings and allowing three earned runs or fewer. Cristopher Sanchez of the Philadelphia Phillies also had 22 quality shares.
Repertoire
He'll keep hitters guessing with his wide selection of pitchers.
Yamamoto throws a filthy four-seam fastball up to 99 mph, averaging around 96 mph. He throws a nasty sinker at 95 mph. But his best pitch is a split-finger fastball that, at 91 mph, keeps batters baffled.
He can also drastically change speeds with a 77 mph curveball, along with a 95 mph sinker and an 87 mph slider.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why Yoshinobu Yamamoto is built for Dodgers' biggest games and can save NLCS
