Los Angeles Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto is prepared for whatever the 2026 postseason has to throw at him ahead of his Game 3 start against the Atlanta Braves.
Yamamoto is set to face one of the best pitchers in the National League in Chris Sale on Tuesday, but isn’t concerned about the matchup as much as he is his own job.
“Obviously he’s one of the best pitchers,” said Yamamoto. “But I just want to focus on my own job.”
The right-hander made quite the reputation for himself last postseason, pitching in Game 7 of the World Series on less than a day’s rest and ultimately hurling 37.1 innings over the postseason as he won the World Series MVP, and naturally said he’d do the same this season if necessary.
“I’m going to get myself ready for any situation,” Yamamoto said. “If they want me to go out, then I’ll go out. The key things for me this postseason is focusing on the game in front of me”
How Good Was Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the Postseason Last year?
Yamamoto made the most appearances of any Dodgers starter last postseason, starting five games and coming out of the bullpen once. He threw two complete games, coming back-to-back against the Milwaukee Brewers and Toronto Blue Jays, and closed out the final game of the Fall Classic with a 2.2-inning performance.
Through his 37.1 innings last season, Yamamoto had a 0.78 WHIP with 33 strikeouts and was by far the most impressive pitcher for his team throughout the duration of the postseason.
Could Yoshinobu Yamamoto Have a Similar Postseason This Year?
Yamamoto is capable of doing the same thing in the postseason this year, but the Dodgers likely won’t need him to.
The Dodgers used Yamamoto out of necessity last year, as their bullpen limped through the end of the season and the entirety of the postseason. This year, with a much stronger pitching corps, the Dodgers are sure to rest Yamamoto as much as possible so he is able to perform his best throughout October.
LA will hope to see the best out of Yamamoto in his first appearance of the postseason, which will come Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. PT.
