As the 2026 MLB offseason progresses, there is one debate that is starting to heat up: Who is the best pitcher in MLB? The two names most commonly talked about in the debate are Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes, but there is another name that should be mentioned as the best pitcher instead.
That pitcher is Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the ace of the Los Angeles Dodgers. His stellar performances in the 2025 MLB postseason, including two complete games, have put him squarely in the conversation.
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Yoshinobu Yamamoto Is The Best Pitcher in MLB
Yoshinobu Yamamoto was a revelation during the 2025 MLB postseason. In the World Series, he threw a complete game in Game 2, a 5-1 victory for the Dodgers, allowing just one earned run with eight strikeouts and zero walks. This followed a similar dominant complete-game performance in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, which the Dodgers also won 5-1.
His postseason achievements are historic, marking him as the first pitcher since Madison Bumgarner in 2014 to throw two complete games in a single postseason. This level of sustained excellence in the high-pressure environment of the playoffs has fueled the argument for his status as baseball’s best active pitcher.
Yamamoto’s numbers throughout the 2025 MLB postseason are nothing short of eye-boggling. He had a record of 3-1 with an impressive earned run average of 1.57. In 28 2/3 innings pitched, he surrendered only 17 hits, five earned runs, and four walks, while striking out 26 batters. His WHIP was a remarkable 0.73, statistics that would be outstanding in the regular season, let alone the postseason.
Adding significant weight to the claim that Yamamoto is the best is the endorsement from his Dodgers teammate and fellow Japanese superstar, Shohei Ohtani. Following the Dodgers’ Game 7 World Series victory, Ohtani expressed his astonishment and admiration for Yamamoto’s pitching prowess. “I really believe this. I think he is the No. 1 pitcher in the whole world,” Ohtani stated through his interpreter, highlighting Yamamoto’s incredible performances throughout the championship run, including his crucial contributions in the deciding Game 7.
Yamamoto’s ability to perform at such a high level on the biggest stage has not only solidified his reputation but also sparked a lively debate among fans and analysts about his standing among the game’s elite. For as great as Skenes and Skubal are, Yamamoto showed his dominance as a pitcher on the biggest stage, something Skenes and Skubal have yet to do in a high-pressure situation like that.
The future is bright for Yoshinobu Yamamoto, as he is just 27 years old. With him already having just a 2.66 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 306 strikeouts in the regular season throughout two years of his career, it shows that Yamamoto has a next level to reach, which should be a scary thought for the rest of baseball.