Ohtani Calls Yamamoto No. 1 in the World, Kershaw Reacts to Historical, 'Gutsy' Feat

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto received heaps of praise after delivering an MVP-worthy performance in the World Series.

One night removed from getting the win in Game 6, Yamamoto pitched the final 2.2 innings for Los Angeles as it prevailed 5-4 in extra innings to lift a second straight title.

Two-way star Shohei Ohtani argued Yamamoto has a case to be the top pitcher in the game:

"I don't think you'll ever see somebody do what Yama did tonight," teammate Clayton Kershaw also said, per The Athletic's Tyler Kepner. "That was probably the most gutsy, ballsy thing any guy's ever done, you know? And he's used to pitching on a week's rest, the whole season. And for him to come in and say he's willing to do that, and not just throw one inning, but I don't even know what it was — two and a third? You can't even describe how he was feeling.

"I've done some short-rest stuff and pitched on one day's rest. I've never done no day's rest. So his arm probably doesn't feel great right now. But he is amazing, he really is, and his stuff was incredible tonight."

Yamamoto threw 17.2 total innings in the Fall Classic, striking out 15 and allowing just two earned runs.

His work in Game 7 is what will be remembered the most. The right-hander navigated out of a bases loaded jam with one out in the bottom of the ninth and then got Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk to ground into a game-ending double play with runners on the corners in the 11th.

"It's unheard of, and I think that there's a mind component, there's a delivery, which is a flawless delivery, and there's just an unwavering will," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, per ESPN's Alden Gonzalez. "I just haven't seen it. I really haven't."

Catcher Will Smith, who hit the go-ahead homer in extras, called Yamamoto's efforts "incredible."

"You know, I talked to him yesterday. I was like, 'Hey, if you can give us one, we're going to win,'" Smith said. "He gave us three. That was special. He'll have a few months off. I know he's going to need it, but I'm just happy for him. That was awesome."

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman explained the work Yamamoto put in behind the scenes so that he might be available.

"I got a text last night that Yama was getting treatment to be ready for today," Friedman said. "I kind of scoffed at it, like, 'That's great, he really cares, but the likelihood of that is pretty low.'

"And then today he got treatment again and said, 'Hey, I feel really good, I'm able to go out and give at least an inning and we'll see how my stuff holds.' For him to have the same stuff that he had the night before is really the greatest accomplishment I've ever seen on a major-league baseball field."

Yamamoto was even second-guessing how much he had in the tank as he prepared to warm up.

"When I started in the bullpen before I went in, to be honest, I was not really sure if I could pitch up there to my best ability," he said through an interpreter. "But as I started getting warmed up… I started making a little bit of an adjustment, and then I started thinking I can go in and do my job."

Once the adrenaline wore off, the Japanese ace began to feel the work he had put on his arm. Raising his World Series MVP trophy took some serious effort.

"There's a reason he couldn't lift that MVP trophy up," Dodgers star Freddie Freeman said. "I don't think he could."

Blue Jays star George Springer said Yamamoto is "elite," and teammate Addison Barger concurred with that assessment.

"He's one of the best arms in the game," Barger told reporters. "He did a great job. Kind of freaky that he came in and pitched today after yesterday. I don't know what they're doing over there, how he did that without his arm falling off."

The Dodgers took a risk when they signed Yamamoto to a 12-year, $325 million contract. Japanese pitchers who dominated NPB haven't all replicated that kind of level upon arriving in MLB.

In Yamamoto's case, he has already justified Los Angeles' massive investment.