Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto Pitching Like ‘Best Pitcher in the World’ Says All-Star Teammate
Yoshinobu Yamamoto picked up the first National League Pitcher of the Month honor of the season and the first of his career on Friday.
Voted as the NL’s best pitcher through March and April, the starting right-hander boasts an NL-leading 0.90 ERA and ranks third in the league with four wins. Yamamoto also has held batters to a .171 average across 40 innings, which ranks second in the NL.
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Yamamoto is the first Dodgers pitcher to win the honor since All-Star southpaw Clayton Kershaw earned the recognition in April 2023.
Yamamoto has shined in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ rotation, and his teammates acknowledge his dominance on the mound. All-Star catcher Will Smith described Yamamoto as the best pitcher in the world to Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times.
“Just executing all of his pitches. Just making it really hard on the hitters,” Smith said to Harris of Yamamoto’s dominance. “Right now, he’s pitching like the best pitcher in the world. We’re just fortunate to have him.”
In his first outing of May, Yamamoto opened the road series against the Atlanta Braves on Friday. The 26-year-old held the Braves scoreless and threw six strikeouts in six innings.
“He dominated today,” Dodgers reliever Evan Phillips said to the Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett. “And I feel like it wasn’t even the best version of Yama. Which is crazy. The guy, when you talk about routine and work ethic and the talent, this guy’s one of the best in the game, for sure. It’s fun to watch.”
The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Yamamoto to a 12-year, $325 million contract to make him the highest-paid pitcher in MLB. But a tricep injury kept Yamamoto off the mound for three months during the summer last season.
Now, a healthy Yamamoto is dominating in his second MLB season. He has thrown 49 strikeouts and only allowed four earned runs so far this season.
With starting pitchers Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, and Shohei Ohtani are unable to pitch, Yamamoto is keeping the rotation afloat.
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Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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