Yoshinobu Yamamoto reached a career milestone Saturday night, but the way he earned it may have revealed more about the Los Angeles Dodgers ace than the number itself.
Yamamoto recorded his 100th professional victory in the Dodgers’ 4-3 win over the New York Mets at Citi Field. The total combines his 70 wins with the Orix Buffaloes in Nippon Professional Baseball and 30 since joining Los Angeles.
According to the New York Post, even Dodgers manager Dave Roberts did not realize what Yamamoto had accomplished until he was informed after the game.
“That’s a milestone,” Roberts said.
Yamamoto Reaches 100 Wins on an Off Night
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 25: Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws a pitch during the first inning of the game against the New York Mets at Citi Field on July 25, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
The historic win did not come with Yamamoto’s sharpest stuff. He struggled to command his fastball and splitter, walked three batters, and needed 52 pitches to complete the first three innings.
Still, he limited the Mets to one run on five hits across six innings, striking out five. New York repeatedly put him under pressure, placing two runners aboard in the first, third, and fifth innings. Yamamoto escaped the first two threats without damage and allowed only a Bo Bichette RBI single in the fifth.
Roberts called the performance “good, not great,” pointing to the walks and Yamamoto’s diminished efficiency. Yet he also credited the right-hander with delivering important pitches whenever trouble developed.
Yamamoto viewed the outing as evidence of his growth. Holding an opponent to one run when he could not throw the ball as intended meant more than dominating with everything working.
The victory improved his record to 11-6 with a 2.72 ERA through 19 starts this season. MLB’s official statistics also list Yamamoto with 125 2/3 innings, a 0.90 WHIP, and 118 strikeouts. He has completed at least six innings in 17 of those 19 outings.
Yamamoto’s Journey Makes Milestone More Meaningful
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 25: Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of the Los Angeles Dodgers walks out of the dugout to warm-up before the game against the New York Mets at Citi Field on July 25, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
Yamamoto’s rise was hardly guaranteed. Orix selected the undersized right-hander in the fourth round out of high school. He reached Japan’s top league at 19, then rebuilt his delivery despite the organization’s concerns about the change.
The decision paid off. Yamamoto became a three-time Pacific League MVP and three-time winner of the Eiji Sawamura Award before signing a 12-year, $325 million contract with the Dodgers.
His MLB transition included a three-month absence due to injury during his rookie season. Since then, he has become a two-time All-Star and the 2025 World Series MVP.
Yamamoto told the Post that the difficult outings remain more vivid than many victories because those failures shaped him. Now 27, he is already looking toward 200 career wins and believes the next 100 could arrive faster if he remains in the rotation.
For the Dodgers, that ambition may be as significant as Saturday’s history.
His 100th win was not his most dominant performance. It was something valuable: proof that Yamamoto can survive without his best command and still give Los Angeles six strong innings.
Dodgers Ace Makes History Without His Best Stuff Against Mets