In a dazzling debut on the World Series stage, Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivered a masterful performance in Game 2 on Saturday night. He stifled Yankees hitters all night, allowing just one hit over 6 1/3 brilliant innings in the Dodgers’ 4-2 victory. His stellar performance not only showcased his talent but also pushed Los Angeles into a commanding 2-0 series lead.  

So the real question now is: Do the Yankees feel remorse yet? Because they should. The Yankees were in the mix for Yamamoto too! They made their pitch last offseason, throwing down a solid offer of 10 years and $300 million for the 26-year-old Japanese sensation. But then the Dodgers pulled a classic power move, stepping in with an even sweeter deal of $325 million over 10 years. 

Yankees get ready to miss Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Yamamoto made the leap to Los Angeles—and he’s been more than happy to remind the Yankees what they’re missing! Along with Soto’s home run, Yamamoto totally unbalanced the Yankees’ formidable core. Even Soto was able to ground out weakly twice, but Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton were completely outmatched by him. “It’s incredible,” said righty reliever Blake Treinen. “The only hit he gave up was to one of the hottest hitters on earth right now. That’s an incredible start!” Yamamoto is making it look easy, and the Yankees are left scratching their heads.

Yamamoto was burning, gaining whiffs with each of his five pitches as he blended them like a master chef. The final 11 batters he faced were left swinging at air when he retired them. However, given that Yamamoto hadn’t surpassed 80 pitches in a start since his injury recovery, manager Dave Roberts wasn’t going to push his luck. What is more remarkable? It was only the eleventh time in World Series history when he started with at least six innings pitched and one hit or fewer. Who else among the Dodgers did it? Rich Hill. He became a member of a prestigious club.  

The highest paid rookie in MLB

Just over a week after landing Shohei Ohtani with that jaw-dropping contract, they’ve gone and signed Yoshinobu Yamamoto for 12 years and $325 million! That’s a huge deal, making him both the highest-paid rookie and the highest-paid pitcher in MLB history. It’s like the Dodgers are trying to build a superteam, and that superteam is in fact delivering.  

So, with that $325 million contract for Yoshinobu Yamamoto and an additional $50 million posting fee to the Orix Buffaloes, the Dodgers made a serious investment. It’s a hefty price tag, but you can see why—Yamamoto’s talent is undeniable. In his statement, Yamamoto expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Orix organization and the Dodgers, and his excitement to don the Dodger Blue is palpable.  

It’s also fascinating how this contract structure works—no deferrals and those opt-outs after the sixth and eighth years give both sides a lot of flexibility. Plus, surpassing Gerrit Cole’s guaranteed dollars by just a million shows how high the stakes are in today’s game! Do you think this deal is giving fruit? Judging by the numbers and this postseason, its safe to say yes.