Dodgers News: Yoshinobu Yamamoto Nominated for NL Cy Young Award

LOS ANGELES, CA—Just two days removed from winning the 2025 World Series MVP after a stellar performance in the Fall Classic, second-year Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been nominated for the National League MVP Award due to his regular-season efforts.

Yamamoto’s 2025 regular season showcased outstanding pitching. ESPN reports he went 12-8 in 30 starts, with a 2.49 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP over 173.2 innings. His skill in restricting baserunners was clear, as he held opponents to a .183 batting average and a low 0.543 OPS.

Yamamoto’s season is especially notable for his exceptional ability to generate swings and misses. According to FanGraphs, his whiff percentage was an impressive 29.0%, indicating his skill in causing swings outside the zone or producing weak contact.

His overall strikeout rate (K%) was 29.0%, accompanied by a 7.1% walk rate (BB%), reflecting his skill in striking out batters while maintaining control. Yamamoto’s signature splitter played a significant role in his swing-and-miss effectiveness, producing ground balls on 18 of 19 balls in play and featuring increased arm-side run at 91.4 mph.

His refined fastball, curveball, and cutter increased his dominance, with the curveball dropping an impressive 64 inches—eight inches more than any similar pitch in the league.

Yamamoto’s 201 strikeouts make him the first Dodgers pitcher to hit 200 strikeouts in a regular season since Walker Buehler in 2021. His accomplishment places him among a select group of Dodgers pitchers, such as Kershaw, Koufax, Don Sutton, and Fernando Valenzuela, who have also surpassed 200 strikeouts in a season.

Yamamoto’s transition from a solid rookie season in 2024 (7-2, 3.00 ERA, 105 strikeouts in 90.0 innings) to his breakthrough year in 2025 demonstrates his development. His improved pitch selection, featuring a fastball with more ride (17 inches of vertical break) and a more effective cutter, enabled him to overpower both left- and right-handed batters.

With the nomination, Yamamoto is the first Dodgers pitcher to be a finalist for the Cy Young Award since the 2022 season, where former left-handed starter Julio Urías finished third in the race behind lefty Max Fried and winner Sandy Alcantara.

Also nominated for the NL Cy Young Award with Yamamoto are right-hander Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sánchez.

Skenes entered the year as a frontrunner for the award and certainly lived up to expectations. He posted a 1.97 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 2.36 FIP, and 217 ERA+, all best in the NL. Over 187.2 innings in 32 starts—one a complete game—he went 10-10. His 216 strikeouts tied Jesús Luzardo for second in the NL, behind Logan Webb’s 224.

After Zack Wheeler‘s injury, Sánchez took on the role of the ace for the NL East champions. Building on his 10th-place Cy Young Award finish last year, Sánchez had a standout season for the Phillies in 2025, posting a 13-5 record, a 2.50 ERA, and 212 strikeouts in 202 innings. The left-hander ranked third in the NL for ERA, fifth in strikeouts, and second in innings pitched.

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