The Los Angeles Dodgers will raise their second straight championship banner at Dodger Stadium on March 26. Opening day against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Dodgers will begin the charge for a three-peat, after beating the Toronto Blue Jays in a seven game World Series last year.
On Monday, manager Dave Roberts made it official who will take the mound that night.
Dave Roberts Names Opening Day Starter
Dave Roberts announced that Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start on Opening Day for the Dodgers.
The decision was straightforward. Yamamoto was the Dodgers’ ace last season and delivered a postseason performance that cemented his status as one of baseball’s elite pitchers. Starting him on Opening Day at Dodger Stadium made sense on every level.
“It is a pretty easy decision, considering that it’s an honor to be the Opening Day starter,” Roberts said. “He started for us last year on the road. But for him to get that start on Opening Day at home, I think it’s going to be special.”
Yoshinobu Yamamoto stood on the mound in Toronto for Game 7 of the World Series. He got the final outs to close out the championship. Now he’s gearing up to start the season.
The assignment makes Yamamoto the first Dodgers pitcher to start consecutive Opening Days since Clayton Kershaw did it from 2011 to 2018.
GettyYoshinobu Yamamoto is the Dodgers’ Opening Day Starter.
What Yamamoto Showed in 2025
Yamamoto posted a 12-8 record with a 2.49 ERA across 30 starts, striking out 201 batters while walking just 59 in 173 2/3 innings. His 2.74 xERA backed up the performance. The results earned him a third-place finish in National League Cy Young voting behind unanimous winner Paul Skenes and runner-up Cristopher Sánchez.
But the regular season was just the foundation. Yamamoto’s postseason work elevated him into Dodgers legend status.
He went 5-1 with a 1.45 ERA in six postseason games, striking out 33 batters against just six walks in 37 1/3 innings. The performance earned him World Series MVP honors.
At some point during the postseason run, Yamamoto made a statement that resonated throughout the organization.
“Losing isn’t an option,” he said.
The declaration became a mantra for the team. It captured the mindset that carried them through the postseason.
Yamamoto Returns to Dodgers From WBC
Yoshinobu Yamamoto spent the past few weeks away from Dodgers camp representing Japan at the World Baseball Classic.
The tournament ended Saturday when Japan fell to Venezuela in the quarterfinal.
Yamamoto held opponents to two earned runs in 6 2/3 innings across two starts against Chinese Taipei and Venezuela. His 2.70 ERA reflected solid work, but the result wasn’t what he wanted. He will now return to LA.
6.1 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 7 K, 4 BB
Final Word for the Dodgers
Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw the final pitch of the 2025 season. He will throw the first pitch of the 2026 season.
Yamamoto closed out one championship and now opens the pursuit of another. The Dodgers are chasing a three-peat. They will raise their second straight banner on March 26 before first pitch at Dodger Stadium.
Their ace takes the ball that night. The same pitcher who dominated October. The same pitcher who refused to accept losing as an option.
Opening Day at home. The championship banner going up. Yamamoto on the mound.
The Dodgers’ title defense begins exactly as it should.
Dodgers Announce Opening Day Starter for 2026 Season