The incredible World Series run made Yoshinobu Yamamoto one of the hottest stars in baseball. Major League Baseball released its ranking of the top 20 postseason performers of the year, and the 27-year-old Los Angeles Dodgers ace took the first spot after churning out a stretch of historic outings.

Fresh off winning WS 2025 MVP, Yamamoto's dominance defined autumn baseball this year. He even beat Shohei Ohtani in such a feat.

MLB Ace For This Year

Yoshinobu Yamamoto Credits His Longtime Mentor For His World Series
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Before finally making it to the Major Leagues, Yamamoto had ruled Japanese professional baseball for seven years. His transition to the MLB was one of the most anticipated in recent years, right up to securing a monumental 12-year, $325 million deal with the Dodgers.

Even injured for part of his first season, he still managed a very respectable 7–2 record in 18 games, with a 3.00 ERA to prove his potential from the very outset.

Breakout Second Season With the Dodgers

In his sophomore year, Yamamoto ratcheted it up another notch, per Chosun. With injuries to top pitchers Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, he became the stalwart of Los Angeles' rotation.

He went an incredible 12–8 with a sterling ERA of 2.49 in 173⅔ innings while consistently showing endurance and elite command on the mound. This consistency kept the Dodgers competitive throughout the season and primed them for an outstanding postseason run.

Historic Postseason Performance Rewrite MLB Records

Yamamoto shifted into an entirely different gear in the playoffs. Stunningly, he turned in consecutive complete-game victories in Game 2 of the NL Championship Series against Milwaukee and Game 2 of the World Series against Toronto. It made him the first pitcher since Curt Schilling in 2001, nearly a quarter-century ago, to record back-to-back complete game wins in the postseason.

For the Dodgers, it was the first such feat since Orel Hershiser in 1988.

Even in the most extreme pressure situations, Yoshinobu Yamamoto did not flinch. With the Dodgers trailing 2–3 in the World Series, he pitched six dominant innings with just one earned run allowed in a crucial Game 6 win. Less than 24 hours later, he was back out in Game 7 as a reliever, tossing 2⅔ scoreless innings to seal back-to-back championships for Los Angeles.

Award-Winning Excellence and Historic Milestones

Yamamoto's final postseason line-a 5-1 record and a 1.45 ERA across 37⅓ innings-speaks to pure dominance. The World Series showing alone earned him the MVP award: 3-0, 1.02 ERA. He became only the second Japanese player in MLB history to get that honor, following Hideki Matsui in 2009.

Even his teammate Tommy Edman "can't say enough" about his performance this season. He just couldn't believe that there was someone who would do whatever it takes, even if it means playing with an injury.