That’s quite an interesting observation of Clayton Kershaw made by the Dodgers icon! Both Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Clayton Kershaw represent the two generations of pitchers of the Los Angeles Dodgers prior to the Tokyo Series warm-up. Kershaw was already impressed by Yamamoto’s skills ever since he saw him deliver a scoreless start, leading the Dodgers to victory against the San Diego Padres while advancing to the NLCS despite an injury.
But now, the same person has been heaping praise on Kershaw, and that’s indeed a great reaction from Yamamoto. It reflects the close bond that they share and how they have been doing quite well for the Dodgers. But it’s not always about the games that they play, but also about being good human beings. So, what reactions does Yamamoto have for Kershaw?
Well, according to a post shared on X on March 16, by a sports columnist of the Los Angeles Times, Dylan Hernandez, Yoshinobu Yamamoto has taken things much ahead, and said something beautiful about Clayton Kershaw. Yamamoto said, “Baseball-wise, of course, but also his humanity; I admire him very much in every way. He’s an example. Just being in the same space as him, I feel as if I’ll become better at baseball.” And it’s quite true because Kershaw, while Yamamoto was working the bullpen last summer, approached him, giving him some advice and tips on throwing the curve. It worked like a charm, as the pitch immediately improved. But that’s not all!
This is an absolutely incredible quote from Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Clayton Kershaw:
“Baseball-wise, of course, but also his humanity, I admire him very much in every way. He’s an example. Just being in the same space as him, I feel as if I’ll become better at baseball.”
— Dylan Hernández (@dylanohernandez) March 16, 2025
Yoshinobu Yamamoto also mentioned that being younger than Kershaw as a pitcher helped him a lot to improve his pitching. His curveballs were giving him much trouble during the bullpen sessions and also during the minor league rehabilitation program, and that’s when he received a tutorial from Kershaw. His advice helped him a lot, as he completed the 2024 regular season with 7-2, 3.00 ERA, 18 G, 90.0 IP, 105 SO, and 1.11 WHIP. Yamamoto has been showing good signs in the 2025 spring training too, and that definitely tells a lot about Kershaw’s role in making it happen, isn’t it?
Definitely, and now the Dodgers have turned to him for the season opener.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto looks to make it big this season for the Dodgers
Despite the Dodgers having big names like Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto cannot be ignored for what he has accomplished. The former 26-year-old Japanese star has achieved the unique Triple Crown in just his second season with the Dodgers. Now, he is set to add another feather to his cap as he is expected to make his first opening-day start on Tuesday in the major league against the Chicago Cubs in the Tokyo Series. Great, isn’t it?
The Los Angeles Dodgers are keeping their fingers crossed, as they hope to see something better than last year. Yamamoto has secured three outs while allowing five runs on the four hits that led to a loss against the San Diego Padres in the Seoul series. However, he is looking quite good, and in terms of preparation, Yamamoto feels happy to be with the Dodgers, playing alongside Japanese players like Ohtani and Roki Sasaki. However, in the faceoff against the Cubs, Yamamoto has to face Cubs’ left-hander Shota Imanaga.
Who, according to you, will leave a lasting impact during the Tokyo Series game? Let us know in the comment below.
The post Yoshinobu Yamamoto Showers Praise on Dodgers’ $7.5M Teammate, Unveils Game-Changing Impact in Career appeared first on EssentiallySports.
