On November 1st, Yoshinobu Yamamoto struggled to raise the World Series MVP trophy in what was possibly the best World Series of all time. Despite an all-time great performance by the Toronto Blue Jays, the Los Angeles Dodgers were able to battle in a war of a series to secure back-to-back championships. This series had it all. An 18-inning game. A game-ending double play. Several displays of dominance by a previously unknown rookie. But most impressive of all was the incredible performance by Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Yamamoto started in 2 games and came out of the bullpen in Game 7, throwing over 17 innings while only allowing 2 runs. This performance will forever be remembered as one of the greatest pitching performances in the most important stretch of games in the year.
Game 1
From the first game, the series was intense. Going into the game, many fans believed that the Dodgers would walk away with the series in only 4 games. In reality, the exact opposite side prevailed in the first contest. The Blue Jays came in attacking the Dodgers starter Blake Snell, putting up 5 runs in 5 innings. In total, the Blue Jays put up 11 runs while only allowing 4, highlighted bya pinch hit grand slam by Addison Barger.
Game 2
In Game 2, the momentum swayed entirely, a trend that would prove to be common as the series continued. In Game 2, the dominance of Yoshinobu Yamamoto was on display for the first time in the series. Yamamoto pitched all 9 innings while only allowing a single run, a run that was enough to earn a 5-1 win with home runs from Will Smith and Max Muncy.
Game 3
Game 3 was a game that will go down in history as one of the greatest games in MLB history. The 18-inning battle tied the record for longest game to take place in the World Series. The two teams used a combined 19 pitchers, the spectacle extending for 6 hours and 39 minutes. The Dodgers prevailed 6-5, with Shohei Ohtani crushing two home runs and a walk-off home run from Freddie Freeman in the 18th frame.
Game 4
But as we continue to see in this series, momentum continues to slide back and forth between the two opposing ball clubs. Blue Jays superstar first baseman Vladimir Guerrero helped the Blue Jays to earn a 6-2 victory with a 2 run home run off of fellow superstar Shohei Ohtani. In my opinion, Game 4 is the best indicator of what kind of team the Blue Jays have been throughout their incredible postseason run. After taking their previous two series to Game 7, the Blue Jays once again showed their insane resilience, coming back less than 18 hours after the heart-wrenching end to the 18 inning war of Game 3.
Game 5
Game 5 again showcased the magic of the Blue Jays postseason. Trey Yesavage, a rookie who was unknown to even devoted baseball fans until a month before the postseason, delivered a pitching masterclass, tossing 7 innings while only allowing one run and amassing 12 strikeouts. The Jays took the victory 6-1, with back to back home runs on the first two batters of the game by Davis Schneider and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. providing an early lead that they would hold onto for the remainder of the contest, giving them a 3-2 series edge.
Game 6
In a win-or-go-home situation, the Dodgers certainly did not disappoint. Going into the final inning, the Dodgers held onto a 2 run lead through another masterful performance from the ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto. However, the Dodgers weren’t able to just walk away with the victory. In the 9th inning, the Blue Jays had runners at second and third, and only 1 out. This meant that the tying run lay only on second base, and could force another extra inning affair. However, a low line drive caught by Kiké Hernández and a baserunning blunder from Addison Barger led to a double play that tied the series and set the stage for Game 7.
Game 7
It’s Game 7 of the World Series. Bottom of the 9th inning. The Blue Jays have put up 3 runs in the 3rd inning and added another in the 6th. However, a little at a time, the Dodgers have chipped their way back to a 1 run game. The leadoff hitter is Miguel Rojas, a middle infielder known for his defense and that’s it. The 9-hitter has a career OPS+ of 86 (League Average = 100), meaning that he was 14% worse than an average hitter in his career. He has not hit a home run since September 9th, almost 2 months prior. However, against all odds, he goes up and hits a solo home run to send Game 7 to extra innings. And who comes out to pitch for the Dodgersafter this? Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Even after throwing about 100 pitches the day before, Yamamoto returns to the mound and throws 2.2 shutout innings. To throw over 100 pitches and still go out and throw the next day is unheard of. But to throw 2 without a single run in an absolutely dominant manner? The performance is possibly the 3rd best by a pitcher ever, only behind fellow Dodger Sandy Koufax, who threw a complete game in Game 5 and 7 to win the 1965 World Series, and Madison Bumgarner, who threw 21 innings and only gave up one run across three games to win the 2014 World Series.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s performance was inspiring to people all across the world, especially here at CHS. Sophomore Dodgers fan Hugo Tsurushima states, “As a Japanese American and Dodger’s fan, I feel like most of the focus goes towards players like Shohei Ohtani and his dominance across his 8 seasons in the MLB. It’s inspiring to see how Japanese players across the league continue to dominate in recent years.” Yamamoto’s performance earned him the second World Series MVP by a Japanese player, and the first since Hideki Matsui in 2009.
The incredible story of the 2025 World Series will be remembered not just as one of the best contests in years, but one of the best championship series in all of sports history.
