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Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto will be starting on Opening Day against the Arizona Diamondbacks, as manager Dave Roberts announced, after pitching in the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals.
Yamamoto is continuing an impressive streak of being a total workhorse, pitching at the start of the season for the second year in a row after shouldering a massive load throughout 2025, pushing himself hard in the offseason, and making two WBC appearances.
Rather than complain or look to manage his load as many modern athletes do, Yamamoto is striving to be a true throwback ace for the Dodgers.
Rain or shine, no one was more reliable for the Dodgers in 2025 than Yamamoto, and that is proving to be the case to start 2026.
Yamamoto returned to Dodgers camp on Monday, and the following day, he talked about what being a back-to-back Opening Day starter means to him.
“I’m really happy to have been entrusted with the opening game, and since it’s an opening game at home, I think the fans are looking forward to it too. I want to take the mound with a sense of responsibility,” Yamamoto said in Japanese.
Yamamoto pitched 6.2 innings in the WBC, putting up a 2.70 ERA. He made two starts in the Cactus League as well before jetting off to Japan.
The righty takes the ball on Friday against the San Diego Padres, his first outing since coming back. It will serve as his final tune-up before the start of the season.
Yamamoto is fighting to earn a Cy Young award alongside fellow starters Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow, both of whom are the healthiest high-caliber arms for the Dodgers and have their sights on the prize.
Dave Roberts on the decision to start Yamamoto
For manager Dave Roberts, the decision to go with Yamamoto to open such a key season was easy, given all he has brought to the franchise.
“It is a pretty easy decision, considering that it’s an honor to be the Opening Day starter,” Roberts said. “He started for us last year on the road. But for him to get that start on Opening Day at home, I think it’s going to be special.”
With an excited and engaged Yamamoto, the Dodgers looked poised to get a good shot at achieving a three-peat.
