Los Angeles Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto Tosses Gem to Extend Historic Start to Season

Yoshinobu Yamamoto shut down the Texas Rangers on Friday night, setting the Los Angeles Dodgers up for a win with his 7.0 scoreless innings and 10 strikeouts.

Arlington, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) makes a putout during the third inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been at the top of his game in the early goings of the 2025 regular season, and his showing against the Texas Rangers on Friday was no exception.

The Los Angeles Dodgers' star righty racked up five strikeouts in the first two frames alone. And while he gave up three doubles across the first four innings, none of those runners came around to score.

By the end of his outing, Yamamoto had tossed 7.0 scoreless frames with 10 strikeouts and zero walks. That was enough to outduel Jacob deGrom, who gave up one run in his 7.0-inning quality start.

The Dodgers held on to win to series opener 3-0, notching their fourth victory in a row. Yamamoto is now 3-1 with a 0.93 ERA, 0.862 WHIP, 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings, a 5.43 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 1.3 WAR through five starts this year.

According to OptaSTATS, Yamamoto is the first MLB pitcher in the modern era to allow fewer than 20 hits and fewer than five runs with at least 35 strikeouts and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of at least 5.00 over his first five starts of a season.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the @Dodgers is the only MLB pitcher in the modern era to have:

35+ strikeouts
5.00+ K/BB ratio
fewer than 20 hits allowed
fewer than 5 runs allowed

...over his first 5 starts of a season. pic.twitter.com/sfGJelmx6Z

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) April 19, 2025

Yamamoto also joined Fernando Valenzuela as the only other Dodgers pitcher ever to have a sub-1.00 ERA in a 35-day stretch, minimum five starts, per ESPN.

If it weren't for a strained rotator cuff that sent him to the 60-day injured list last summer, Yamamoto likely would have had a case to win NL Rookie of the Year in 2024. He went 7-2 with a 3.00 ERA, 1.111 WHIP, 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings, a 4.77 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 1.8 WAR in 18 starts.

Now, the 26-year-old is an early contender for NL Cy Young, making good on the 12-year, $325 million contract he inked with Los Angeles last winter.

The Dodgers and Rangers continue their series at 4:05 p.m. ET. Japanese rookie Roki Sasaki will take the mound for Los Angeles, facing off against veteran Nathan Eovaldi.

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