Toronto Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. may not be impressed with Shohei Ohtani’s performance on the mound, but another Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher has surprised him.
Guerrero emphasized that Yoshinobu Yamamoto was difficult to gain popularity.
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“He’s nasty. He’s the MVP,” Guerrero told Jansen Pujols in an exclusive interview in Spanish. “He took the bat out of your hand. The guy put the ball in your knee and knocked everybody out.”
Yamamoto was indeed the MVP of the World Series, drawing surprise and praise from the baseball world after winning the championship, with many pointing out that he was able to perform at a high level even without rest between games.
October 31, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) during the second inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during Game 6 of the 2025 MLB World Series at Rogers Center. Mandatory photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
That’s a marked difference from 2024, when he struggled after transitioning to a five-day rest period between starts.
However, in 2025, he recorded three wins at the Fall Classic, including wins in Games 6 and 7 on back-to-back days.
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Throughout the series, he posted an incredible 1.02 ERA in 17.2 innings, allowing two earned runs.
He also struck out 15 batters and allowed just 10 hits.
Vlad Jr. not impressed with Ohtani’s pitching
Compared to Yamamoto, Guerrero thinks Ohtani “isn’t that hard to hit.”
Ohtani gave up a clutch homer to Guerrero in the World Series, but he also struck out the Jays slugger twice.
April 27, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) talks with Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) after loading the bases on a throwing error in the seventh inning at Rogers Center.
But overall, Ohtani didn’t perform at an elite level in the World Series. In 8.1 innings, he gave up 11 hits and 7 earned runs for a 7.56 ERA.
He was also the losing pitcher in Game 4 at Dodger Stadium, in which Guerrero homered.
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While Guerrero underestimated Ohtani’s pitching, manager Dave Roberts took a different tack, noting that Ohtani “wants to be in the Cy Young conversation.”