Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Through 6 starts (as of April 27, 2026), Yoshinobu Yamamoto is 2-2 with a 2.87 ERA, 32 strikeouts, and a 1.01 WHIP over 37.2 IP — ace-tier production that closely mirrors his 2025 baseline (2.49 ERA, 201 K, 0.99 WHIP, World Series MVP). His four-pitch mix (four-seam ~95mph, splitter, curveball, cutter) and elite command (BB/9 ~2.1) are both intact, and his FIP is in the high 2s to low 3s — confirming the ERA is real skill, not luck. As the established anchor of the Dodgers' Japanese trio (alongside Ohtani and Sasaki), Yamamoto is on a clean Cy Young trajectory if he holds this profile through the summer. The latest line refreshes daily in the stats box at the top of this page.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 2026 FIP — the defense-independent pitching benchmark — sits in the high 2s to low 3s through April 27, almost identical to his 2.87 ERA. The 2025 alignment was the same (FIP 3.12 / ERA 3.00), which is the strongest signal that his run prevention is true ace-level skill, not BABIP luck or defensive support. League-average FIP is around 4.00, sub-3.50 is top-of-rotation, and sub-3.00 is ace tier — Yamamoto is squarely in the ace tier. The formula is ((13×HR) + (3×(BB+HBP)) − (2×K)) / IP + 3.10, and the live value is recalculated daily in the FIP Quick Answer block at the top of this page.

Yamamoto's latest 2026 stats are updated daily in the stats box at the top of this page. Through 6 starts (as of April 27, 2026): 2-2, 2.87 ERA, 32 K, 1.01 WHIP, 37.2 IP. Coming off his 2025 season — 30 starts, 2.49 ERA, 201 strikeouts, 0.99 WHIP, and World Series MVP honors — Yamamoto enters 2026 as one of the top starters in baseball. He forms the anchor of the Dodgers' rotation alongside Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki.

Yamamoto's next scheduled start and the line from his most recent outing (IP, K, ER, pitch count) are available in the stats box at the top of this page and on the dedicated "Today" page. Pitch usage by type, swing-and-miss rates, splits vs RHB/LHB, opposing lineup notes, and a full Unico AI commentary are updated daily. Live in-play updates run during the game; final results are posted by 18:00 JST.

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Yoshinobu Yamamoto plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers as a right-handed starting pitcher. He wears jersey number 18. He signed with the Dodgers in January 2024 on a record-breaking 12-year, $325M deal — the largest contract ever for a Japanese player — and earned 2025 World Series MVP honors. In 2026 he anchors the Dodgers' rotation alongside Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki.

Yamamoto's delivery features a pronounced internal forearm rotation at release — often described as a "corkscrew" motion. This creates two distinct advantages: (1) it generates late cutting and sinking action on his fastball and amplifies the downward break on his splitter, and (2) it makes it harder for hitters to pick up the spin axis early, delaying their read on the ball. Yamamoto has used this arm action throughout his NPB career and has maintained it seamlessly in MLB.

FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) measures pitching performance based only on outcomes a pitcher controls: strikeouts, walks, and home runs. MLB average FIP is around 4.00; elite starters post FIPs below 3.50. Yamamoto posted a sub-2.00 FIP in multiple NPB seasons and has translated that precision to MLB — his 2025 season (2.49 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, BB/9 of ~1.8) reflects an FIP in the high 2s. His 10.20 career NPB K/9 confirms he generates weak contact across his entire arsenal, not just from pure velocity.

Yamamoto's 2026 FIP — the defense-independent pitching benchmark — is calculated and refreshed daily in the "FIP" Quick Answer block at the top of this page. The formula is ((13×HR) + (3×(BB+HBP)) − (2×K)) / IP + 3.10. League-average FIP is about 4.00, sub-3.50 is top-of-rotation, and sub-3.00 is ace tier. Through April 27, Yamamoto suppresses home runs while generating swing-and-miss, so his FIP is sitting in the high-2s to low-3s — almost identical to his 2.87 ERA. The 2025 season showed the same alignment (FIP 3.12 / ERA 3.00), which is the strongest signal that his pitching results are skill, not luck.

In January 2024, Yamamoto signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers through the posting system on a 12-year, $325 million deal — the largest contract ever given to a pitcher at the time of signing, and the largest contract ever given to a Japanese player. Key factors included being teammates with Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers' established track record of developing pitchers, and the organization's championship-caliber environment. Yamamoto had long expressed interest in MLB, and the chance to be part of a historic Japanese-led roster in Los Angeles was decisive.

Yamamoto won the Sawamura Award (Japan's highest honor for a starting pitcher) in 2021, 2022, and 2023 — three consecutive years, a feat matched only twice in NPB history. He also won four Pacific League ERA titles (2019, 2021, 2022, 2023) and the Pitching Triple Crown three years in a row from 2021 to 2023. Over his 2021–2023 peak, he went 46-8 with a 1.61 ERA and 10.22 K/9 across 71 starts; his 2021 season was a perfect 15-0 record. Career NPB totals: 78-34, 1.82 ERA, 10.20 K/9 across 113 appearances (Baseball Reference).

Yes — if Yamamoto sustains his 2025 performance level (2.49 ERA, 201 K, 30+ starts) into 2026, he becomes a legitimate NL Cy Young Award candidate. The key thresholds: sub-2.80 ERA, 200+ strikeouts, FIP below 3.00, and K/BB ratio above 5.0. His 2025 World Series MVP performance raised his profile among national baseball writers, meaning votes will follow if the regular season numbers are there. Yamamoto is the rare pitcher whose command and arsenal are both elite enough to win on any given night.