Dodgers' $325 million ace proved he could be NLCS difference maker in Game 5

Narratives can change in an instant, and Los Angeles Dodgers' starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto may have just proved why he was deserving of a king’s ransom.

Yamamoto tossed five innings of scoreless baseball in the Dodgers’ pivotal NLDS Game 5 victory over the San Diego Padres. Such a performance should quiet the detractors and cement his status as a successful major league pitcher. Further, it should give these same doubters reason to believe he’ll be a major factor in the NLCS.

“I said earlier, Yama, it was going to be one of the best games that he throws this year," Teoscar Hernández said after the win. "And we saw it tonight. He was amazing."

Yamamoto signed a 12-year, $325 million deal with LA last offseason. After a rough start to his season in Seoul against San Diego and a Game 1 performance he would rather forget, it was extremely encouraging to see the 25-year-old best the Padres in a pressure-packed scenario, even with six 100+ MPH exit velocities against him in the contest..

Dodgers' $325 million ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto proved he could be NLCS difference maker in Game 5

“The last outing, I didn't do my job well," Yamamoto said through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda. "… I was just trying to focus on getting myself ready, [preparing] more meticulously. And then in terms of velo today, I think my mechanics were locked in."

The righty missed significant time this season due to a right triceps injury, and never truly settled into the flow of a 162-game season, but Game 5 was exactly the sort of contest that pushed the Dodgers to sign Yamamoto. The front office had always hoped he would be a clutch pitcher, and his most recent performance proves that he has the stomach for postseason action.

“Well, it's the best we've seen him," Padres manager Mike Shildt said. "I liked his fastball in and out. Threw the secondary [pitches] when he needed to, and we just couldn't string anything together. I thought he rose to the occasion."

It could be argued that Yamamoto’s NLDS will foreshadow his NLCS. He did not fare well against the Padres this season, but was able to “figure them out” when push came to shove. The Japanese ace only faced the New York Mets once this season, but allowed seven hits and three earned runs in that one outing.

Yamamoto’s NLDS illustrated that he is the sort of pitcher who can deal with high stakes and consistently tweak his approach against opponents he has seen before. There is no reason to believe he won't be able to do the same against the Mets and bring the Dodgers to their first World Series since 2020.