“I think Yoshinobu has grown up considerably in one year, I really do,” manager Dave Roberts said. “I think he’ll have a tremendous season. I think it speaks to his character in the sense that after that debacle, that rough start, to bounce back like he did, it speaks to his compete and his character.”

After the first start, Yamamoto was very good when he pitched in 2024, posting a 7-2 record, 3.00 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 90 innings despite a shoulder injury that forced him to miss about half of the season. He was solid in the playoffs, particularly during the World Series, when he gave up just one run over 6 1/3 innings in a Game 2 win.

Yamamoto relies mostly on a three-pitch mix of a mid-90s fastball, a curveball and a devastating splitter that coaxes plenty of swing and miss. Now he also knows he can thrive in the big leagues.

“I think the biggest thing is confidence, which you have to go through the experience, to gain more confidence,” Roberts said. “How that manifests is that he trusts his fastball in the strike zone and he doesn’t have to be too fine with it, and that makes everything else better.”

MLB World Series 2024: Dodgers 4-2 Yankees - Yoshinobu Yamamoto stars in  game two - BBC Sport

The 26-year-old Yamamoto could be one of the headliners of an elite starting rotation that includes two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Tony Gonsolin, Japanese rookie Roki Sasaki and eventually Ohtani, who hopes to return to the mound in May.

Dustin May and Bobby Miller are also options while veteran left-hander Clayton Kershaw could contribute if healthy.