Yoshinu Yamamoto, born August 17th, 1998 in Bison Okama, Japan, is a right-handed professional baseball pitcher who now stars for the Los Angeles Dodgers in MLB. Widely regarded as one of Japan’s most dominant hurlers, Yamamoto had an illustrious career with the Orics Buffaloos in Nippon Professional Baseball NP.

Between 2021 and 2023, he won three straight Pacific League MVP awards, three SAMA awards, Japan Sai Young equivalent, and three Triple Crowns, leading the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts in each year. After the 2023 season, he was posted and signed a record-breaking 12-year, $325 million contract with the Dodgers. In his first two MLB seasons, he already has become a World Series champion, 2024, and a National League All-Star, 2025.

In this documentary style biography, we’ll trace Yamamoto’s journey from childhood to international fame. And don’t forget, if you enjoy this video, please like, share, comment, and subscribe for more baseball deep dives. Yamamoto grew up in a modest family in Bisonen, Okayama. His parents are Tatanobu and Yumi Yamamoto.

In fact, his unique given name, Yoshinibu, was chosen by his grandmother by combining Yoshi from his mother’s name and Nou from his father’s name. He also has an elder sister who became an English teacher, the couple’s only daughter. Family appears to be very important to Yamamoto. Japanese sports media note that he grew up crying when he lost games or misplaced his lunchbox, showing his competitive spirit even as a child.

In school, Yamamoto did not initially stand out as a prodigy. He attended Maya Konojo Senior High School in Miyazaki Prefecture. Far from the big league spotlight of the famed Koshin tournament. However, at Maya Konojo, he focused fully on pitching. He steadily added velocity yearbyear, throwing in the low 80s m as a freshman, hitting 91 miles per hour by sophomore spring and topping out around 94 mph by summer of his third year.

Notably, he even tossed a no hit game in a summer high school tournament while sidelined by an elbow injury. Despite this success, the elbow trouble meant many scouts were wary. Ultimately, after high school, he was selected in the fourth round of the 2016 NPB draft by the Orics Buffaloos, a surprise pick that turned out to be a steal.

Throughout his youth, Yamamoto showed quiet determination. In junior high, he was not a regular player at first, but by his third year, he took the mound in a regional final qualifier and threw one perfect memory-making pitch, according to his coach. After that tournament, his coach still underestimated Yamamoto’s future potential, but the young pitcher continued to hone his craft in high school.

His overcoming of early injuries and doubts would become a recurring theme in his career. Professional career nippon professional baseball Orics Buffaloos. Yamamoto made his NPB debut with the Orics Buffaloos on August 20th, 2017, just 3 days after turning 19. He split that first year between the Buffalo’s farm team and the main club, finishing 2017 with a 1:1 record and a 5.32 ERA over five starts.

The next year, 2018, he mostly pitched in relief and notched a 2.10 ERA over 60 games, even earning an all-star selection and finishing second in rookie of the year voting. In 2019, Orics moved him back into the rotation, and he went 8 to7 with a 1.99 ERA and 133 strikeouts in 21 games.

Yamamoto’s true dominance began in 2021. That season, he recorded an 18 to5 win loss mark with 206 strikeouts and a minuscule 1.39 ERA, the best in the Pacific League. He swept the pitching titles, leading the league in erra wins and strikeouts, and was named Pacific League MVP, and took home the AG SAMA award for the best pitcher in all of Japan.

In fact, 2021, 2022, and 2023 were virtually the same story for Yamamoto. Each year, he led the league in wins, erra, and strikeouts, winning the so-called triple crown three years in a row. He also won MVP and SAMRA in 2022 and 2023 as well. Two no hitters punctuated this stretch, one on June 18th, 2022 and another on September 9th, 2023, making him a national sensation.

In 2022, Yamamoto helped power the Buffaloos to their first Japan series championship in 26 years. He started the Japan series and dealt eight shutout innings in game one, though he later felt a side strain, but Orics still won the title. He finished 2022 with a 15-5 record and a 1.

68 erra, striking out 205 in 193 innings. In 2023, he represented Japan in the World Baseball Classic, earning a gold medal, and again dominated NPB, going 16-6 with an astonishing 1.21 21 ERA and another championship in pitching titles. His jersey number was 18, the same number worn by fellow Japanese ace Kenta Mietta when he played in the Dodgers, a number Yamamoto said he chose as inspiration after watching Mietta pitch in Los Angeles.

Overall, by the end of 2023, Yamamoto had amassed a 70 to 29 career record with a microscopic 1.82 ERA in NPB along with over 900 strikeouts. He was widely regarded as the most decorated pitcher in Japan, posting and signing with the Dodgers. After the 2023 season, Orex officially posted Yamamoto, opening negotiations with MLB clubs.

The Los Angeles Dodgers ultimately won the rights and on December 27th, 2023, the team announced a historic 12-year, $325 million contract. at the time the largest ever guaranteed deal for a pitcher. The deal included two outs after years five and eight tied to his elbow health, but the headline was that Yamamoto became baseball’s highest paid pitcher.

In doing so, he joined his Japan national teammates Show Otani and Kentayetta in Los Angeles and instantly became one of MLB’s biggest storylines. The Dodgers had obvious confidence. Yamamoto made the opening day roster and on March 21st, 2024, he debuted with the team in a spring exhibition game in Seoul, South Korea.

His official regular season debut came on April 6th, 2024 against the Chicago Cubs, a start where he held the Cubs scoreless over five innings to earn his first MLB win. Major League career, Los Angeles Dodgers. Yamamoto’s 2024 season was promising, but had setbacks. Over 18 starts, he went seven to two with a 3.00 ERA and 105 strikeouts.

He flashed his trademark dominance at times. For example, in midMay, he struck out eight in a shutout outing against San Francisco, but he also endured a stint on the injured list in June due to a left rotator cuff strain. He returned to action in September and finished the regular season strong. In the 2024 playoffs, Yamamoto made an immediate impact.

He was the game one starter in the NL division series against the eventual champion Arizona Diamondbacks and then made the game five start, earning his first career playoff win in a decisive game. He also appeared in both the NL Championship Series and World Series. In game two of the World Series against the Texas Rangers, he pitched six and one-3 innings, giving up only one run on two hits, though the Dodgers ultimately lost that game.

The Dodgers prevailed in the series as a whole, earning Yamamoto his first World Series ring in 2024. Remarkably, Yamamoto thus became the first player in baseball history to win the World Series, an Olympic gold medal, and a WBC title, underscoring how many championship teams he’s been part of. In 2025, Yamamoto took an even bigger step.

The Young Ace was named to his first All-Star game in July. He started the season on the right foot. The Dodgers gave him the opening day nod and his April performance earned him National League pitcher of the month honors. By late September, he had compiled a 12 to8 record with a sterling 2.49 ERA, striking out 201s over 180 innings.

His 2.49 ERA ranked fourth best in the majors. He also limited opposing hitters. Well, his whip was only 0.99. Every outing showed Yamamoto’s mix of high90s fast balls, sharp breaking balls, and an unshakable confidence built in Japan. As the 2025 playoffs unfolded, Yamamoto further burnished his postseason reputation.

In game two of the NL Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers on October 14th, 2025, he threw another complete game. nine innings, three hits, one run, seven strikeouts for a 5 to1 victory. Then in the 2025 World Series versus the Toronto Blue Jays, Yamamoto threw nine innings on October 25th, allowing only one run with eight strikeouts, again for a 5 to1 win.

These back-to-back complete games made him the first pitcher in 24 years to go the distance in consecutive postseason starts. The Dodgers, desperate to force a game seven, pencled Yamamoto into pitch game six on October 30th. Yamamoto warmed up well, reaching 97 mph in the bullpen and was prepared to pitch, but a sudden walk-off home run by Freddy Freeman ended the game in the 19th inning before Yamamoto had to take the mound.

By the end of 2025, Yamamoto’s MLB resume included all-star honors, a World Series title, and an emerging reputation as a postseason monster. In his first two big league seasons, he already posted a combined win loss record of 19 to 10, a 2.66 ERA, and 306 strikeouts. Personal life, hobbies, and lifestyle. By 2025, Yamamoto’s estimated net worth is around $20 million, a figure that reflects signing bonuses, salary, and endorsements.

He has indulged in lavish purchases. For example, in June 2025, it was reported that Yamamoto paid $21 million for a newly built mansion in Los Angeles’s exclusive Bird Street neighborhood. This modern glasswalled estate in the Hollywood Hills features six bedrooms, 7 plus baths, and resort-like amenities, indoor pool, home theater, wellness spa, and an 8car garage.

Yamamoto’s taste in cars is similarly high-end. He drives a white Jeep Grand Wagon L, a luxury SUV with a sticker price around $139,644. Thank you for watching this in-depth biography of Yoshinibu Yamamoto. If you enjoyed learning about his journey from his early life and breakout in Japan to his life with the Dodgers, please hit the like button, share this video, and subscribe to our channel for more player profiles.

Also, feel free to comment below. What do you think of Yamamoto’s performance this year, and what moments of his career stand out to you? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Until next time, keep enjoying baseball. Heat. [Music] [Music]