When Yoshinobu Yamamoto made his much-hyped MLB debut in Seoul, fans leaned in. After all, this was the $325 million man — the most expensive pitcher in baseball history, arriving from Japan with sky-high expectations and a devastating splitter in his back pocket. But instead of dazzling, he stumbled. His first start against the Padres ended with raised eyebrows and loud whispers: Was the hype real?

What happened next? He answered in force. Since that rocky introduction, Yamamoto has been sensational. His mechanics are crisp, his command elite, and his signature splitter? Nearly untouchable. He’s not just adjusting to the major leagues — he’s already mastered them. Yet oddly, his dominance is happening in relative silence.

No national headlines. No “Yamamoto Watch.” Just excellence, quietly unfolding every five days. And that silence? It’s beginning to sound a lot like disrespect. So what exactly is going wrong? Nothing, if a certain MLB Insider is to be believed. In fact, things are going too good.

“Number one, he’s freaking awesome,” one MLB insider Chris Rose said bluntly on a recent Baseball Today broadcast. “And number two, he’s the highest-paid pitcher in the game. So we should be following him more closely than we do.” And then came the dagger: “I think people do have Dodgers fatigue.” Let that sink in.

The irony? If he were doing this in a different jersey — say, the Mets, Red Sox, or Cubs, he’d be a daily talking point. But in L.A., he’s lumped in with the superteam. People nationally just go, ‘Oh yeah, another Dodger doing well’. Of course, the insider added: “It’s almost like a ‘F them’ mindset. They’re playing a different sport.”

Despite pitching like an ace, Yoshinobu Yamamoto is being overlooked—not because of anything he’s doing wrong, but because he’s too good, on a team that’s too good. The Dodgers, with their galaxy of stars – Ohtani, Betts, Freeman, Glasnow – aren’t just dominating the standings, they’re overwhelming the narrative. It’s a media logjam, and Yamamoto, even while dealing, is getting lost in the crowd.

But here’s the truth: Yamamoto isn’t just another Dodger. He’s their ace. His splitter is a cheat code. His walk rate is inching up slightly, sure, but he’s still suffocating lineups with clinical precision and absurd poise for a 25-year-old rookie. So maybe it’s time we shake off the Dodgers fatigue. Whether the spotlight finds him or not, Yoshinobu Yamamoto is making a statement every time he toes the rubber. And it’s getting harder to ignore.

Fellow Dodgers reflect on how Yoshinobu Yamamoto hit another gear in 2 years

Last season, Yoshinobu Yamamoto arrived in Los Angeles as a $325 million mystery, a polished product from Japan with dazzling stuff, a fluid delivery, and sky-high expectations. The flashes of brilliance were there: a 3.00 ERA, 105 strikeouts in just 90 innings, and the honor of starting Game 1 of the NLDS. But for all the talent, something still felt untapped. The transition to Major League Baseball, new routines, different hitters, and the cultural shift left him navigating more than just opposing lineups. “As we can all expect or imagine, there was a lot of uncertainty,” Dave Roberts admitted this spring. “I wouldn’t say anxiety. But [he was] new somewhere. And there’s expectations that everyone has.”

Fast forward to Year 2, and Yamamoto hasn’t just turned a corner; he’s blown the doors off. The numbers jump off the page: 1.06 ERA, fourth in the National League in strikeouts, top-10 in WHIP, and opponents’ batting average. Even after what he called a “bit of a struggle” against Pittsburgh, Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s presence on the mound feels completely different. There’s confidence in his body language, precision in his command, and an edge in his execution. He’s pitching with conviction and earning admiration from elite peers. “He’s learned his way really well,” said Clayton Kershaw. “And honestly, fast, for what it was.”

Kershaw saw it up close during Yamamoto’s recent showdown with Jacob deGrom in Texas, a marquee duel that turned into a masterclass. “Those two guys, that’s how it should look when you pitch,” Kershaw said. “The fluidness, the effortlessness, the way it comes out of your hand.” For a legend like Kershaw to include Yamamoto in the same breath as deGrom says everything about how far the 25-year-old has come. The dominance now looks routine. The aura feels earned.

And as Roberts put it, it’s a reflection of both raw talent and relentless drive: “It just speaks to how great he wants to be, his own expectations, the work that he puts in to continue to stay at the top of this game.”