Dave Roberts Predicts Dodgers Pitcher to Be In Cy Young Conversation This Year

Gabe Smallson | Mar 21, 2025

Mar 16, 2025; Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (left) and pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) stand on the field before the game against the Hanshin Tigers at Tokyo Dome. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Dodgers had an incredible showing in the Tokyo Series against the Chicago Cubs.

Manager Dave Roberts spoke on Opening Day starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto after the first MLB game of the season and made a powerful prediction for how the ace's year may go.

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The last time Yamamoto was on the mound for an opening season, things did not go so well.

The Dodgers were also overseas to start the 2024 campaign in Seoul, South Korea, and Yamamoto could only muster one inning due to five earned runs and four hits in his MLB debut.

Luckily, it was night and day from the two opening series performances as Yamamoto dazzled the mound in his home country of Japan, fanning four over five innings and allowing just one run, one walk, and three hits.

Roberts made his bold prediction to the media after the season opener.

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“I think that last year to this year, the confidence, the conviction that he has in throwing the fastball in the strike zone is much, much more convicted.” Roberts said. “And so you saw that tonight. And so if he can do that, obviously (with) health, I see no reason why he won’t be in the Cy Young conversation this season.”

Yamamoto will have to continue shining among such a bright pitching room.

Two-time Cy Young award winner Blake Snell was acquired this offseason and 23-year-old phenom Roki Sasaki was brought to L.A. as well. Sasaki, Yamamoto's fellow countryman, started the second game of the series and showed why the baseball world has become enamored with him hurling three strikeouts over three innings.

Yamamoto finished the 2024 campaign with a 3.00 ERA over his 18 starts. Across 90 innings he tossed 105 strikeouts to only 22 walks.

The postseason was luckily more of the same as his 3.86 ERA over 18.2 October innings were key to securing the Dodgers' eighth championship.

Yamamoto has come a long way from his debut in Seoul, but according to Roberts, the sky is the limit.

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