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Los Angeles Dodgers World Series MVP Yoshinobou Yamamoto has reached the same number of followers as Aaron Judge and Fernando Tatis Jr.
Yamamoto reached two million followers on Instagram, establishing himself as one of the most followed MLB athletes in the sport.
His growing reach is well-deserved, especially after his performance during the 2025 World Series, where he made three different appearances.
In Game 2 of the World Series, the Japanese ace pitched a complete game, allowing just a run while striking out eight batters and issuing no walks, with only four hits all night long.
The Toronto Blue Jays had a strong offense all October, but Yamamoto shut them down and kept the Dodgers from having to rely on their shaky bullpen.
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Then, in Game 6, he pitched another six quality innings, striking out six batters, issuing one walk, and allowing five hits, but only one run after all that.
He helped the Dodgers win the elimination game, setting them up for a Game 7 and saving their season.
During Game 7, he came in with two runners on base and just one out in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Dodgers had just tied the game up when there was trouble brewing and they turned to Yamamoto once again.
He got the Dodgers out of the jam and went on to pitch another two innings, the last of which was with the lead, and he did not allow a run.
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His gutsy performances elevated his status to one of the best pitchers in baseball and made him a star worldwide.
He won the World Series MVP for his effort, though he later revealed that he almost didn’t make an appearance.
“When I started in the bullpen before I went in, to be honest, I was not really sure if I could pitch up there to my best ability,” Yamamoto said via his interpreter.
“But as I started getting warmed up, because I started making a little bit of an adjustment, and then I started thinking I can go in and do my job.”
Yamamoto put his body on the line for his team, raising his hand and willing to pitch despite the stress he placed on his right arm. Not only was he there, but he delivered and became a Dodgers hero.
