MLB.com's Dodgers superstar rankings disrespect Yoshinobu Yamamoto (again)

With the additions of Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz, the Dodgers now have a stunning 13 All-Stars spread across their roster. That's millions and millions of dollars and half of their active roster.

MLB.com ranked all 13 of them, and it's hard to argue with some of their placements. Shohei Ohtani at No. 1, Blake Treinen in dead last (Tanner Scott runs a close No. 12). No one's complaining about that.

But what we might take exception to are the two players who immediately follow Ohtani: Kyle Tucker at No. 2 and Yoshinobu Yamamoto at No. 3.

It feels a lot like when ESPN "boldly" predicted Ohtani would win the NL Cy Young, while forgetting that Yamamoto is also on the Dodgers roster and finished third in 2025 voting behind Paul Skenes and Cristopher Sánchez.

Tucker isn't mid, as a lot of irate opposing fans on Twitter have tried to insist upon since he signed with the Dodgers, but after what Yamamoto did not only in the NLCS and World Series but the regular season, can we really say that Tucker is a better position player than Yamamoto is pitcher? We don't think so.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto ranks third on MLB.com's Dodgers All-Star rankings behind Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Tucker

Comparing pitchers and position players is an apples-to-oranges situation, sure. Tucker surely get some kind of leg up by virtue of him playing everyday as opposed to Yamamoto's every-five- or even every-six-day schedule. But Yamamoto already strayed from convention when he pitched 24 innings over three postseason starts, only to come out to close the World Series a day later. He saved the Dodgers bullpen from themselves. He took a no-hitter to the final out in the regular season and, if we had to guess, he's due to finish the job in 2026.

And he was the only Dodgers starting pitcher to stay healthy all season. On a team as unrelentingly injury-prone as this one, that's everything.

Maybe Will Leitch at MLB.com was blinded by the sheer amount of money the Dodgers gave Tucker, which makes Yamamoto's $325 million contract look like a bargain. If Tucker stays in LA for all four years, he'll make almost three-fourths of what Yamamoto's making in 12 years.

Even with two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell on the roster, Yamamoto is the Dodgers' ace. He was practically the heartbeat of the team last year. We're just as thrilled about Tucker's addition as everyone else, but we won't stand for Yamamoto disrespect.