For two years, I have felt like a prophet extolling the virtues of a flexible, pitching demigod that I actually taller than: Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He stopped the most prolific offense left in the postseason
tournament, the Toronto Blue Jays. For his efforts, Yamamoto was named World Series MVP after closing out Saturday’s win in Game 7.
During the 2025 playoffs, the Blue Jays could seemingly score on any team at will. It took a five-foot ten man from Okayma, Japan to stifle the American League champions. Yamamoto was nothing short of brilliant. During the World Series, he went 3-0 with a 1.09 ERA. He struck out 15 and walked only two Jays over 17 2/3 IP of work.
Yamamoto threw a one run, eight strikeout complete game in Game 2 in Toronto, which was his second consecutive complete game in the playoffs. The last 20 batters he faced in a row were retired.
He followed that up with a one run, six innings that good enough to force game seven. Yamamoto appeared on no rest to pitch 2 2/3 IP of work to save the Dodgers’ season.
Yamamoto’s well-earned MVP honors increase arguably the best credentialed pitcher in the world with multiple consecutive MVPs and Eiji Samawura awards. The only award missing from this two-time defending champion is a Cy Young, which he likely would have won this year had he received any modicum of run support.
Ever since Yamamoto was denied in his no-hitter attempt on September 6 in Baltimore, Yamamoto had been on a tear being the undisputed ace in a rotation full of aces.
Not bad for someone who earned the largest pitching contract in history without throwing a pitch in the majors, eh?
The season started on March 18 in Tokyo with Yamamoto on the hill. It was only fitting that the Dodgers became the first defending champion in a quarter century with Yamamoto on the bump, this time in Canada.
