Following a postseason performance that will go down as one of the greatest performances of all-time, the city of Los Angeles honored Dodgers 2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto with a 130-foot mural featuring fellow Japanese-born pitchers, Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki.
Yamamoto’s historic performance included a win in Game 6 and coming in relief in Game 7 to secure the Dodgers’ back-to-back titles against the Toronto Blue Jays.
While the city of Los Angeles praises the ground Yamamoto walks on, the entire country of Canada and city of Toronto might have different feelings.
On Tuesday, April 7, Yamamoto makes his return to Roger Centre for Game 2 of the World Series rematch between the Dodger and Blue Jays.
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Yoshinobu Yamamoto Does Not Care About Boos From Blue Jays Fans
The 27-year-old Japanese pitcher had a 5-1 record with a 1.45 ERA and 33 strikeouts over 37.1 innings in the postseason. Three of those wins came on the mound at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.
After an absolutely electric performance by Yoshinobu Yamamoto during the World Series, his arrival is expected to be filled with hostility from the surrounding Blue Jays fans.
“I don’t care about that,” Yamamoto said with a laugh through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda on Monday.
During the postseason, Yamamoto trademarked a “losing isn’t an option” motto that cemented him as a Dodgers legend and Blue Jays foe.
Offensively, the Blue Jays recorded a .269 team batting average opposed to the Dodgers .203 average. They also outscored the Dodgers 34 to 26 through their seven game series.
However, the Blue Jays only roadblock was Yoshinobu Yamamoto. In his three wins over the Blue Jays, Yamamoto posted a 1.02 ERA and 15 strikeouts through 17.2 innings.
His nearly untouchable performance, single-handedly kept the Blue Jays from their first World Series since 1993.
Despite Yamamoto returning to the place where he punched his ticket into postseason history, the Japanese-born pitcher is not scared of what’s to come.
“I treat every game just like the same, no matter how important, how big the game is,” Yamamoto said. “And then normal games, I just pretend that it’s the biggest game as well.”
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Yoshinobu Yamamoto Makes MLB History For Japanese Pitchers
Since the signing of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani in December 2023, the Dodgers have taken it upon themselves to secure fellow Japanese stars.
Shortly after acquiring Ohtani, the Dodgers signed Yamamoto to a 12-year, $325 million contract. The following season, the Dodgers snatched up young Japanese ace, Roki Saski who is under the team’s control for six seasons.
On Wednesday, April 1, Yamamoto took the mound and made history for Japanese-born pitchers.
Yamamoto completed a sequence that, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, has never been achieved in the MLB. Sasaki’s Monday night outing and Ohtani’s Tuesday night outing, solidified by Yamamoto’s start marks the first time any MLB franchise had three consecutive games with Japanese-born pitchers.
Dodgers manager, Dave Roberts was unaware of the history made ahead of Yamamoto’s start:
“I didn’t appreciate that [history],” Roberts said. “That’s fantastic. I’m very honored. These guys are three great men. They’re all different. But this is just a special time in Major League Baseball. Certainly with the Japanese players that we’re fortunate to have here, and around the league … it’s an honor to know that I manage these three guys.”
Yoshinobu Yamamoto Issues Bold Statement To Blue Jays Ahead Of WS Rematch