Dodgers unveil new 2026 celebration and here's what it means

The Dodgers have created and refined a couple different on-base and home run celebrations over the last few years. Back in 2023, they were doing a kind of arms-raised wiggle, but 2024 brought Shohei Ohtani and a little bit more specificity to LA.

That year, Kiké Hernández debuted a Dragon Ball Z-inspired celly that's stuck with the Dodgers ever since — arms and one leg up, twitch to one side. 2025 offered a new addition for home runs: thumb and forefinger pinched and moved across the batter's eyes (in reference to a Japanese cosmetics commercial Ohtani did), sometimes accompanied by a two-handed wave when passing the dugout.

And then, of course, there's Teoscar Hernández's sunflower shower at the top steps, which will be immortalized with a bobblehead this season.

Fans are always eagle-eyed for new celebrations, and Mookie Betts whipped out a new one during the Dodgers' series opener against the Guardians. After the usual Dragon Ball Z celly, he stretched out his arms, right facing upwards and left palm up, toward the bullpen and then the dugout.

It didn't take Dodgers fans long to conclude that it was a nod to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's personal trainer Osamu Yada (affectionately known as Yada-sensei), whose guidance both Mookie Betts and Miguel Rojas sought out during spring training. Yamamoto throws a javelin as part of his routine with Yada.

Dodgers' new hit celly is a nod to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's trainer (and his javelin)

Yamamoto has been throwing a javelin in workouts since 2017, which journalists were quick to take note of when he arrived for his first Dodgers spring training in 2024.

This year, Betts was working closely with Yada, not only throwing the javelin but ... carrying Yada around on his shoulders? Clayton Kershaw was asked about that part of the workout during NBC's Opening Day broadcast, to which he said, "Would could that possibly help you with? I gotta ask Mookie about that. That's amazing."

Betts is having a bit of a slow start to the season overall, but he cranked his first homer of the year during the Dodgers' second game against the Diamondbacks and already has five RBI. And his defense at shortstop is looking better than ever.

So he's definitely doing something right by sticking with Yada's routine. It's only fitting that the Dodgers should throw a tribute to him into their ever-growing sequence of on-base celebrations.