Yoshinobu Yamamoto has come into his own to lead a Los Angeles Dodgers rotation that has relied heavily on him amid injuries and inconsistent performances from other starters.
Yamamoto had shown flashes last season, but nothing to the level of authority and consistency seen in his second season thus far. It couldn’t have come at a better time for the Dodgers as they try to navigate yet another season with major losses in their starting rotation.
The Dodgers always believed this was the caliber of starter Yamamoto could become, which is why they signed him to the largest contract for a pitcher in MLB history.
Manager Dave Roberts already believed earlier this month that Yamamoto was well on his way to becoming the ace of the Dodgers pitching staff, and he’s now seen enough to say it with conviction.
Even with all of the talented players on the Dodgers roster, Yamamoto’s performance this season stands out due to the circumstances. And Roberts argues the right-hander has been the team’s MVP, according to Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“You could argue he’s been our most valuable player, given the people around him and what’s happened, versus Shohei (Ohtani) having a lot of other supporters around him on the offensive side and Freddie (Freeman), as well,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “But on the pitching side, just to be able to log six or seven innings and kind of reset your ’pen, give us a good chance to win every time he goes out there has been huge. And I feel very confident in calling him the staff ace.”
For a team where length from the starter has been tough to come by, Yamamoto’s outings have been nothing short of a blessing. Dodgers starters currently rank last in terms of innings pitched, but Yamamoto has averaged exactly six innings in his last nine outings this season.
In total, seven of Yamamoto’s 11 starts this season have gone at least six innings, including three quality starts. Among all starting pitchers this season, Yamamoto is top-five in terms of ERA and WHIP and is in the top-15 for strikeouts.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto avoided significant hip trouble
After Yamamoto’s start against the Cleveland Guardians, Roberts revealed he came out partly due to experiencing some hip trouble after making a fielding play at first base.
Yamamoto didn’t show any overt signs of being physically limited as he proceeded to get through six innings with just two runs allowed.
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