Dodgers' Dave Roberts Makes Bold No-Hitter Prediction for 2026 Season

The Los Angeles Dodgers are once again the best team in baseball due to their dominance on both sides of the game. The hitting for Los Angeles has been strong, while the pitching has been top-notch.

Behind great outings from multiple starters, the Dodgers have picked up right where they left off a year ago. But even with all the stars in the pitching staff, ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto tends to shine brightest for Los Angeles.

Yamamoto is off to another strong start this season, and his performances have some thinking he can make history this year. When asked whether we would see a no-hitter from Yamamoto this season, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts didn't hold back.

"We almost had one in Baltimore; it wouldn't surprise me. I do think so," Roberts said. "There's a few guys who have that ability, the efficiency, the strike-throwing, putting the ball in play softly, can field his position. There are a lot of things that kind of lend itself to a no-hitter, so it wouldn't surprise me."

Last season, Yamamoto almost had a no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles in what ended up being a very strange game. The right-hander came within one out of sealing the deal before Jackson Holliday’s solo home run broke up the bid.

With two outs in the 9th inning, before the home run from Holiday, Los Angeles led the game 3-0. However, the Dodgers ended up losing the game 4-3 after the bullpen collapsed following the removal of Yamamoto.

But his performance against the Orioles does show that he is capable of getting to this point, and the right-hander could easily do it again. Plus, having the backing of his manager has to feel good, which could give him even more confidence.

No-hitters are hard to come by, as there have only been 326 in MLB history. The most ever in a single season was nine, coming during 2021. There were zero in MLB last season.

The energy, poise and mental wherewithal needed to get the job done have to perfectly align in a game for a no-hitter to happen. So, Roberts' prediction of Yamamoto this season is certainly bold, but he believes in his pitcher.

However, early in his MLB tenure, we have seen Yamamoto do some great things on the mound, including his performance in the World Series last season. The right-hander posted a record of 3-0 with an ERA of 1.02 and 15 strikeouts over three appearances, including him pitching in Game 6 and Game 7 to close Toronto out.

Yamamoto is certainly capable of throwing a no-hitter this season, but the odds are strongly against him doing so. But whenever he has been counted out before, the right-hander has found ways to deliver for the Dodgers.

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