Yoshinobu Yamamoto Credits His Longtime Mentor For His World Series Performance

Yoshinobu Yamamoto is the powerhouse name you will see everywhere this week. After his unforgettable performance of carrying the Los Angeles Dodgers to a pulsating 5-4 Game 7 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays, many fans wondered how he improved into an MVP-caliber player.

Pitching in back-to-back games, Yamamoto proved to be the heart and soul of the Dodgers' World Series triumph. Of course, there's always a "bigger" person behind this legendary performance, but who is it?

Unmatched Endurance of Yamamoto Shines Forth in Game 7

Yoshinobu Yamamoto Credits His Longtime Mentor For His World Series

Just a day after throwing 96 pitches as the Dodgers' Game 6 starter, Yamamoto was back on the mound in Game 7, turning in 2.2 scoreless innings of relief. With the pressure on him, the 25-year-old ace kept his cool and worked his way out of several jams before a clutch home run by Will Smith sealed the Dodgers' championship.

Yamamoto's performance was nothing short of legendary, a rare display in today's era of strict pitch counts and specialized bullpens. To deliver under fatigue and pressure not only showed his mental toughness but also the rigorous training that molded him into an elite competitor.

The Training Behind the Triumph

Much of Yamamoto's success comes from the unorthodox training he and his longtime mentor, a biomechanist named Osamu Yada. He affectionately called him "Yada Sensei," according to Clutch Points.

Since 2017, Yada has put Yamamoto through a uniquely tailored regimen that focuses first on balance, then on muscle coordination and strict biomechanical precision.

"What Yoshinobu is trying to do is to use 600 different muscles at 10 percent output. You can't think about 600 things at once and throw. So it's learning to prioritize which parts of the movement are the most important. And learning to have that conversation with yourself about where there might be imbalances and how to correct those things," Yada said.

Yamamoto himself credits Yada for shaping his dominance, saying, "He's the person who built him." Their partnership has clearly paid off, with Yamamoto becoming the first pitcher since Hall of Famer Randy Johnson to pitch in relief in Game 7 after starting Game 6 of the World Series.

Dodgers' Bullpen Boost from an Unlikely Hero

The Dodgers' pitching staff was threatened with exhaustion after an 18-inning marathon earlier in the series. With the bullpen running on fumes, manager Dave Roberts again turned to his fearless ace.

After strong innings from both Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell, Yamamoto took over to close the door, and he did it with nerves of steel.

Even with danger lurking, a would-be walk-off by Isiah Kiner-Falefa or Ernie Clement's deep drive, Yamamoto found a way to complete the task. That determination, preserving a Dodgers lead, also served to fire up both teammates and fans.

Expect to see Yamamoto jersey sales shoot up after their World Series win.