"Yamamoto is a no-brainer selection for Team Samurai in the knockout rounds, as he's by far their best pitcher at the moment. The right-hander had a 2.49 ERA through 30 starts in 2025, and he also managed to reach the 200 strikeouts mark for the first time in MLB. He continued to dominate into the postseason, allowing just six earned runs through 37.1 innings pitched and winning the World Series MVP."
"Japan won all four of their pool play games in this year's tournament, topping Group C and receiving the more favorable draw. Yamamoto will have an 80-pitch limit in the matchup, as there is a pitch cap for each round. Players in the group stages can't pitch more than 65 pitches, players in the quarterfinals can't throw more than 80 and players can't throw more than 95 in the semifinals or championship."
"As for why he would leave, there likely won't be time for Yamamoto to recover before the final if he starts in the first game of the knockout stages, therefore he wouldn't be able to pitch again before the end of the tournament. Yamamoto has shown he can pitch on short rest, though, so perhaps the Dodgers just want him healthy and back in their camp."
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher, will start for Team Japan in the WBC quarterfinal against Venezuela before returning to Arizona. This marks his second WBC appearance, following a previous start against Chinese Taipei where he pitched 2.2 innings with two strikeouts. Japan won all four pool play games, securing the top seed in Group C. Yamamoto faces an 80-pitch limit in the quarterfinal round, with pitch caps increasing to 95 for semifinals and championships. The right-hander is Japan's premier pitcher selection for knockout rounds, boasting a 2.49 ERA through 30 starts in 2025 and achieving 200 strikeouts for the first time in MLB. He dominated postseason play, allowing six earned runs through 37.1 innings and winning World Series MVP. Yamamoto made two Cactus League starts for the Dodgers, pitching 4.2 innings with three earned runs and seven strikeouts.
Read at Dodgers Nation
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