Yoshinobu Yamamoto named 2025 World Series MVP after Dodgers win epic Game 7 over Blue Jays

Bassyonni

ago 1 month

Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Yoshinobu Yamamoto capped a dazzling October by capturing the 2025 World Series MVP, sealing the Los Angeles Dodgers’ back-to-back championship with a high-wire relief appearance in an 11-inning 5–4 Game 7 classic against the Toronto Blue Jays. The right-hander logged the final 2⅔ scoreless innings, wriggled out of late traffic, and induced a game-ending double play to clinch the title and the individual honor.

World Series MVP 2025: why Yamamoto stood alone

The award turned on Yamamoto’s rare combination of workload, efficiency, and nerve. Across the series he worked 17⅔ innings, allowing two runs, two walks, and striking out 15—good for an ERA a shade over 1.00. He won three games in one World Series, joining a short list of modern pitchers to do so and echoing the kind of October dominance fans associate with the great postseason aces of the past.

Manager Dave Roberts praised the poise and preparation that allowed his star to take the ball repeatedly on short rest. In Game 7, the blueprint was simple: attack the zone, trust the defense, and force contact on the edges. It worked—barely at times, emphatically by the final out.

How the decisive night unfolded

Ninth inning rescue: With the Dodgers nursing a one-run lead, Yamamoto entered to extinguish a threat and push the game to extras.
Extra-inning closure: He owned the late frames, neutralizing the heart of Toronto’s order and setting up the 11th-inning breakthrough.
Final flourish: A sharp grounder turned into two quick outs, a championship, and the MVP announcement minutes later.

While the pitching stole the final spotlight, the series pivoted on timely swings, including a go-ahead homer in the 11th that delivered the margin the Dodgers needed. The Blue Jays countered with relentless pressure, but Los Angeles matched every surge and made the last play.

Yamamoto’s World Series stats at a glance

Series line: 17⅔ IP, 10 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 15 K
Decisions: 3 wins (including the save-style finish in Game 7)
Signature outing: A complete game gem in Game 2, then another pivotal start in Game 6 on short rest before the Game 7 heroics.

When did Yoshinobu Yamamoto join the Dodgers?

Yamamoto signed a 12-year, $325 million contract with Los Angeles in December 2023, the richest deal ever given to a pitcher at the time. Year one brought a championship ring; year two delivered a repeat title and the World Series MVP—rapid validation of the franchise’s investment and player-development plan around him.

Context: how 2025 stacks up with past World Series MVPs

The honor places Yamamoto alongside an elite group of postseason legends. A few touchpoints fans will recognize:

Randy Johnson (2001): A co-MVP who shouldered three wins and late-inning relief to finish Game 7 on short rest.
David Ortiz (2013): A thunderous bat that defined a series, proving how a single player can tilt the stage.
Freddie Freeman (2024): The prior year’s MVP for the Dodgers, underscoring the franchise’s two-year run of star-level October performances.

Pitchers rarely claim three decisions in a single Series; doing it while toggling between starting and relief roles underscores Yamamoto’s adaptability and the coaching staff’s trust.

What this means for the Dodgers—and what’s next

A modern dynasty case: With championships in 2024 and 2025, Los Angeles strengthens its bid as the era’s standard-bearer, powered by a rotation that can mix power arms with precision artists, and a lineup deep enough to survive slumps and injuries.
Managerial blueprint: Dave Roberts’ usage of starters in hybrid roles during elimination moments—then handing the ball to the most composed option regardless of labels—paid off again.
Roster ripple effects: October’s innings often reset the depth chart. Yamamoto’s durability and command cement him as the club’s postseason anchor moving forward, while late-game heroes and reliable defenders enhance their roles entering spring.

Quick answers to the most-asked questions

Who won World Series MVP 2025? Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Los Angeles Dodgers.
Who won the World Series in 2025? The Dodgers, defeating the Blue Jays in seven games.
Who won the World Series in 2024? The Dodgers also lifted the trophy, part of their current two-year run.
When did Yamamoto join the Dodgers? December 2023 (12 years, $325 million).
Did any Dodgers besides Yamamoto star in Game 7? Yes—key late-inning offense and steady defense set the stage for his closing act.

The legacy building in real time

Two titles in two years, a Game 7 classic, and a pitcher who just authored one of the great mixed-role Octobers in recent memory—that’s the scaffold of a lasting legacy. For Yamamoto, the World Series MVP is a milestone; for the Dodgers, it’s proof their formula travels from April to November. The next challenge arrives quickly, but the story from this fall is already etched: when the moment demanded it most, Yoshinobu Yamamoto owned the biggest stage in baseball.