2025 Fantasy Baseball: Yoshinobu Yamamoto Profile, Preview, Predictions

When on the mound in his first season in the United States, Yoshinobu Yamamoto looked the part of a frontline ace. Unfortunately, he missed about 14 starts. Will any Dodgers pitcher throw 180 innings in 2025?

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, K'ing the Side in the 3rd.

8Ks thru 3. 😳 pic.twitter.com/IWALjpeU86
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 11, 2024

SP – Yoshinobu Yamamoto, LAD (ADP – 58.9)

2025 Yoshinobu Yamamoto Pitching Stats Profile | Shawn Childs

The Dodgers locked down Yamamoto in December of 2023 for $325 million over 12 seasons. His arm was electric over his last five years in Japan, leading to a 66-37 record with a 1.64 ERA, 0.902 WHIP, and 869 strikeouts over 833.0 innings. Yamamoto has an ERA under 1.70 for three consecutive seasons with an improving walk rate (1.5 – 2.0 in his career).

Over his time in Japan, batters struggled to square up the baseball against him, highlighted by his 29 home runs allowed over his last 833.0 innings (0.3 per nine) while inducing a high number of groundballs. Yamamoto didn’t bring a difference-maker strikeout rate (9.2).

In his first season with Los Angeles, Yamamoto missed almost three months with a triceps issue in his right arm. After a sluggish major league debut (five runs and five baserunners over one inning with two strikeouts), he went 6-1 over his following 12 starts with a 2.41 ERA, 1.014 WHIP, and 81 strikeouts over 71.0 innings. Unfortunately, Yamamoto left his next games after pitching two shutout innings. The Dodgers eased him back into action in September (six runs and 21 baserunners over 16.0 innings with 21 strikeouts), followed by four appearances in the postseason (2-0 with a 3.86 ERA, 0.964 WHIP, and 15 strikeouts over 18.2 innings).

Yamamoto had success vs. left-handed batters (.193 BAA) while struggling at times against righties (.263 BAA). He allowed a low fly-ball rate (31.5). His average fastball (95.6) graded well while having success with his split-finger fastball (.171 BAA – 40 strikeouts over 111 at-bats), curveball (.210 BAA), and slider (.111 BAA). Yamamoto battled his four-seamer (.279 BAA) and cutter (.364 BAA) against right-handed batters.

Fantasy Outlook: I’m always fearful that any arm issue will translate to a future elbow injury that may require surgery. Rest tends to cure triceps injuries, so Yamamoto should be good to good for 2025. He checked enough ace boxes in his rookie campaign, but Yamamoto threw over 90 pitches in only nine games (100 or more in his four starts before his IL stint). Let’s shoot for 180.0 innings with an edge in ERA and WHIP. His strikeouts and wins should so finish in a winning area.

SP – Yoshinobu Yamamoto, LAD (ADP – 58.9)

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