Yoshinobu Yamamoto in his second season with the Dodgers was the club’s opening day starter, in Tokyo, and also made his first MLB All-Star Game, an honor he achieved regularly in Japan.
Stats
Yoshinobu Yamamoto has a 2.77 ERA in 18 starts, with 109 strikeouts and 34 walks in 97⅓ innings through Saturday. He ranks seventh in the National League in ERA, fourth in xERA (2.99), and fifth in strikeout rate (27.9 percent).
Yamamoto leads the Dodgers in innings and strikeouts, and his 10 starts lasting at least six innings account for one-third of the team’s total outings in 2025.
Selection process
Yamamoto was selected to the National League roster by MLB, as he was not one of the top five starting pitchers in player voting. Those slots went to Paul Skenes, Zack Wheeler, Chris Sale, Logan Webb, and MacKenzie Gore.
Because Yamamoto is starting Sunday against the Giants, he’s ineligible to pitch in the All-Star Game on Tuesday. He was replaced on the roster by Reds left-hander Andrew Abbott.
All-Star history
While this is Yamamoto’s first MLB All-Star Game, the right-hander was also a five-time All-Star in Japan, earning those honors in 2018-19 and 2021-23.
Fun facts
Yamamoto is the third Dodgers pitcher born in Japan to make the All-Star team, along with Hideo Nomo in 1995 and Takashi Saito in 2007. Shohei Ohtani, starting his second All-Star Game for the National League as designated hitter, is the other Japanese All-Star in Dodgers franchise history.