Yoshinobu Yamamoto Earns MVP with Stunning World Series Performance
By James Moreau | 06 Nov, 2025

Yoshinobu Yamamoto cemented superstar status by posting a 3-0 record, a 1.02 ERA to ensure the Dodgers’ World Series repeat.

After earning his first All-Star appearance this season, Los Angeles Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivered one of the most remarkable pitching performances in Fall Classic history earning him the World Series MVP.

Yamamoto finished with a 3-0 record and a 1.02 ERA, allowing just two earned runs through 17.2 innings pitched.  His three attributed wins in the World Series tied an all-time record, accomplished just once in the past 50 years by Randy Johnson in 2001.

His most dominant outing was Game 2 – a complete game effort retiring the final 20 batters he faced and leading the Dodgers to a 5-1 victory.  It was the first complete game in the World Series since 2015 and his second consecutive complete game of the postseason.

Facing elimination in Game 6 Yamamoto took the mound and earned another quality start, allowing only one run in six innings.

It was his relief performance in Game 7 that cemented his legend.

Less than 24 hours after throwing 96 pitches in his Game 6 start, the 27-year-old right-hander emerged from the bullpen in the bottom of the ninth inning with the score tied and runners on first and second.  After loading the bases he escaped the jam and pitched through the eleventh inning, delivering 2.2 scoreless innings to lock up the Dodgers second consecutive title. 

In his three appearances in the 2025 World Series Yamamoto threw 235 pitches – the most recorded in the pitch-count era.

The championship also marked Yamamoto’s second World Series ring in his two MLB seasons.  In the 2024 World Series he also earned a win versus the New York Yankees in Game 2, yielding just one run in 6.1 innings pitched.

Yamamoto’s immediate success in MLB was foreshadowed by his dominance overseas. He was a 5-time NPB All-Star in his seven seasons with the Orix Buffaloes, where he also collected three consecutive MVP awards. Signed to a 12-year $325 million contract before last season, Yamamoto has already delivered on the immense investment.  With a World Series MVP trophy, his name is forever etched in Dodger lore.  The franchise’s burgeoning dynasty is poised to continue with a star-studded line-up and Yamamoto’s dominance on the mound.