ATLANTA -- On a pitching staff populated with aces, including a pair of two-time Cy Young Award winners, Yoshinobu Yamamoto stands out for his poise under pressure.
When the Dodgers open Game 3 of the National League Division Series at Truist Park on Tuesday, all eyes will turn to the right-hander as he steps back onto October’s center stage, attempting to recreate his historic 2025 World Series MVP run.
The always-dependable Yamamoto anchored the Los Angeles rotation in 2026, pacing the club with 28 starts and compiling a 2.53 ERA and 182 strikeouts across 185 innings.
Yamamoto’s steady presence proved crucial this season as Los Angeles’ rotation depth was severely tested with six starters landing on the injured list -- Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Justin Wrobleski, Shohei Ohtani, Roki Sasaki and Eric Lauer.
"For me, players that you gravitate toward, that you really love to have and you can't have enough of them, are dependable players," manager Dave Roberts said. "And Yoshinobu is very dependable. I think that he's probably had one or two clunkers this year, but everything outside of that has been six innings-plus, very consistent. You know what you're going to get. And when the moments get big, he certainly rises to those occasions.
"He takes pride in being there for his teammates and knowing that he's the best option," Roberts added. "He's one of the more underappreciated pitchers in all of baseball."
That sense of security isn't just felt on the mound – it spreads through the field behind him. First baseman Freddie Freeman noted that three years into playing behind the Japanese right-hander, the team's trust in Yamamoto remains absolute.
"From the first live batting practice that I saw when I faced him, it's just special stuff, special command, the poise on the mound, nothing's too big for him," Freeman said. "He's one of those special pitchers that we get to watch day in, day out. Feels like he can put the ball wherever he wants, and we are very confident whenever he goes out there."
During the Dodgers' 2025 World Series championship run, Yamamoto delivered one of the most staggering postseason workloads in modern baseball history. He became the first pitcher in Dodgers franchise history -- and the 14th in MLB history -- with three winning decisions in a single Fall Classic. He capped his World Series MVP campaign by pitching 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief to close out Game 7 on zero days’ rest.
Opposing him Tuesday will be Atlanta ace Chris Sale, setting up a rematch of their Aug. 27 duel. In that outing, Sale threw a 109-pitch shutout to lift Atlanta to a 1-0 victory. Yamamoto delivered a strong start of his own, allowing one run over 6 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts and one walk.