CY

He remains the only pitcher to win the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young awards in the same season in MLB history, but his lasting impact has been the seismic shift in the demographics of the fan base after he burst on the scene during a 1981 season that culminated with a World Series championship.

It was the stage for his rise to stardom over the nearly two decades that followed, as he went on to capture three Cy Young Awards, 2014 National League MVP honors and a career 2.53 ERA that ranks as the best among pitchers with 1,000 innings in the live ball era.

In 2023, the Dodgers signed Yamamoto, the winner of Japan’s version of the Cy Young award for three years running, for $325 million.

“If Paul Skenes did not exist, Yoshinobu Yamamoto would be winning the Cy Young, going away,” podcast host Chandler Rome said.

He was a superstar overseas, winning the Japanese equivalent of the Cy Young Award three times.