Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto is clearly still enjoying his offseason, having attended a dinner at Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills with translator Will Ireton and former Dodger Yu Darvish on Friday.
At the dinner, Yamamoto received a special cake congratulating him on winning World Series MVP.
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The right-hander had one of the most dominant World Series showings of all time, making three appearances throughout the Fall Classic and threw 17.2 innings while allowing just two earned runs in his appearances.
He threw a complete game in Game 2 of the World Series, and followed it up with six innings of one-run baseball in Game 6 to force a pivotal Game 7. With the season on the line, Yamamoto made himself available out of the bullpen on less than a day of rest and threw 2.2 scoreless frames in extra innings to help the Dodgers on their way to another World Series title.
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Darvish, who played for the Dodgers in 2017, pitched in the same rotation as Yamamoto in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, and served as a source of guidance for the All-Star before coming to MLB. With the Dodgers, Darvish made nine starts, posting a 3.44 ERA. He pitched four times in the postseason that year, allowing 11 runs — 10 of which were earned — through 14.2 innings.
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After signing with the Dodgers following the 2023 season, Yamamoto revealed he went to Darvish for advice on where he should sign. Darvish reportedly told the right-hander “make sure you pick somewhere that you truly feels wants you.”
Darvish is currently with the San Diego Padres, but will miss the entirety of the 2026 season after undergoing surgery on his elbow this offseason.
Photo Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
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