Yoshinobu Yamamoto
#18 SP · Dodgers
World Series MVP '25All-MLB 1st Team '25All-MLB First Team '25
Height
5'10"
Weight
176 lbs
Age
27
College
N/A
Experience
2 yrs
Bats/Throws
R/R
D+
B-
A+
—
Fan Verdict
Grade this player:
Career StatsB-
| Year | Team | GP | ERA | W-L | K | WHIP | IP | SV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career |  | 54 | 2.6880531 | 21-12 | 338 | 1.028761 | 0.0 | 0 |
Current Contract
Length
12 years
Total Value
$325.0M
Guaranteed
$195.0M
AAV
$27.1M/yr
Guaranteed %60%
Performance Analysis
B-
FCA+
Yoshinobu Yamamoto grades as an elite performer among MLB starting pitchers, earning a A Performance grade. He carries a 2.66 ERA (below the league average of 4.20, a strong mark) and a 1.03 WHIP across 263.2 innings pitched with a 10.5 K/9 rate. His 19-10 record provides context on team support and run prevention. His strikeout rate of 10.5 per nine innings ranks among the best in the league, showing dominant swing-and-miss ability. As a sophomore at 27, Yoshinobu is a key contributor for the Dodgers.
Fan & Media Sentiment
A+
Very Positive
NegativeNeutralPositive
The media and fan base have fully embraced Yoshinobu Yamamoto as the Dodgers' ace, with his A+ sentiment reflecting genuine superstar status in his second MLB season. His elite jersey sales ranking and dominant Opening Day performance have cemented his reputation as a franchise cornerstone, with coverage consistently highlighting his excellence alongside Ohtani without any injury concerns or performance criticisms clouding the narrative. Despite carrying hefty expectations with his $27.1M annual salary, Yamamoto has delivered enough to justify the premium investment and maintain overwhelmingly positive public perception. The gap between his elite media standing and more modest B- performance grade suggests fans and analysts are still riding high on potential and marquee moments rather than consistent statistical dominance. For the sentiment to shift negatively, Yamamoto would need either a significant injury or prolonged stretch of poor outings that make the massive contract look problematic. Right now, he's living in that sweet spot where expectation meets just enough production to keep the hype machine rolling, with his marketability and big-game performances masking any underlying performance concerns.
Recent Games
| Date | OPP | Result | AB | H | R | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, 5/5 | @ HOU | W 8-3 | - | - | - | 0 | - | - | - |
| Tue, 4/28 | vs MIA | W 5-4 | - | - | - | 0 | - | - | - |
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About this player
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is a player in his 2nd MLB season listed at SP for the Dodgers. FanVerdicts maintains four independent grades for every MLB player on an active roster — Contract Value Index for the deal itself, Performance for on-field production, Sentiment for media and fan reaction, and Fan Verdict for community voting. Current grades for Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Contract Value Index D+, Performance B-, Sentiment A+, Fan Verdict pending.
Every grade refreshes on its own cadence as new data lands. Performance recalculates when MLB game stats post; Sentiment updates with new media coverage and fan discussion; Contract Value Index recomputes when contract terms change; Fan Verdict reflects live community voting on this profile. Contract details below show the structure (years, total value, average annual value, guarantees) the Contract Value Index grade is computed against.
For league-wide context, the MLB hub has team rankings, GM report cards, the transactions feed, and live scoreboards. The MLB player rankings page sorts every active player by performance and contract value within their position.