On a team loaded with stars that just won its second consecutive championship, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto was the clear choice for World Series Most Valuable Player following the Game 7 victory over the host Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday night.
“Yamamoto is the GOAT!” manager Dave Roberts shouted just before the Dodgers hoisted the World Series trophy — with much of the heavy lifting done by Yamamoto.
The right-handed starter collected three of the Dodgers’ four wins against the American League champion Blue Jays, including Game 7 which went 11 innings before Los Angeles emerged with the 5-4 victory.
Yamamoto allowed one hit and one walk with one strikeout in 2 2/3 scoreless innings to close out the game. He threw 34 pitches, 21 for strikes in lowering his postseason ERA to 1.45 in 37 1/3 innings and improving his record to 5-1.
He beat the host Blue Jays 5-1 with a complete-game, 105-pitch four-hitter on Oct. 25 to tie the series 1-1. He beat them again 3-1 on Friday in Toronto, working six innings and allowing five hits in a 96-pitch outing to keep the Dodgers’ hopes alive by tying the series 3-3.
In between, the 27-year-old from Japan also appeared ready to pitch if needed in Game 3 on Monday, but 2024 World Series MVP Freddie Freeman solved that issue with a walk-off home run in the 18th inning for a 6-5 victory.
When he was called on zero days of rest on Saturday night, Yamamoto was ready — eventually.
“I was not sure if I could pitch tonight until I went to the bullpen tonight,” Yamamoto said postgame, via interpreter, “but I’m glad I was able to.”
The last pitcher to win three games in a World Series was Randy Johnhson for the champion Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001. Yamamoto did it this year with a pitching line of three games (two starts), a 1.02 ERA, 10 hits, two runs, two walks and 15 strikeouts in 17 2/3 innings.
The Dodgers signed him to a 12-year contract for $325 million in December 2023. He went 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA in the 2024 postseason as Los Angeles won the National League pennant and beat the New York Yankees in the World Series.
He was 12-8 with a 2.49 ERA, 59 walks and 201 strikeouts in the 2025 regular season and was selected to the All-Star Game.
