"Blowing Game 6 would be a good place to start" - Fans react to Yoshinobu Yamamoto aiming to surpass Clayton Kershaw's MLB legacy

Los Angeles Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto openly said he wants to follow in Clayton Kershaw’s footsteps, and maybe one day surpass the Dodgers legend.

"I think from my heart that I want to be an ace pitcher like Kershaw, and I want to do my best to one day surpass my great senior…" Yamamoto told reporters.

A quote that quickly made the rounds as fans weighed in on whether the 27-year-old can realistically eclipse a Hall of Famer’s legacy.

Yamamoto’s 2025 postseason numbers make a powerful opening argument. Through four starts, he’s posted a 1.57 ERA, 28.2 innings and 26 strikeouts, and has thrown consecutive complete games, one in the NLCS and a dominant complete-game performance in World Series Game 2.

That kind of October dominance is exactly what fuels talk of long-term greatness, but social media didn’t take long to deliver the cynical footnote.

"If he wants to be like Kershaw, blowing Game 6 would be a good place to start," a fan wrote. "He can surpass him by pitching tonight and tomorrow. 😈 ⚾️" one fan said. "It would be no debate if he keeps going at this rate. Also already better in the postseason!" one fan commented. "You already better than Kershaw in postseason dawg," another fan wrote. "I don’t think he will surpass Kersh, BUT that type of dawg mentality is what the Dodgers starters should aspire to," one fan said. "If we’re talking about the postseason alone, he already has," another fan commented.

Yamamoto takes the ball in a must-win Game 6 as the Dodgers put their season on his shoulders

The Dodgers will send Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the hill in Game 6, a true win-or-go-home start after Los Angeles fell behind 3-2 in the World Series. Yamamoto has been unhittable this October and already threw a complete game in World Series Game 2, following another complete-game gem in the NLCS.

If he repeats that level tonight, he’d be approaching a historic run of consecutive postseason complete games.

Yamamoto’s comment about wanting to be an ace pitcher like Kershaw adds extra narrative spice to the matchup; he’s chasing not just a Game 6 win but the kind of sustained dominance that fuels long-term legacy talk.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has entrusted the ball to him in this elimination spot, banking on the young right-hander’s diverse pitch mix and October momentum to carry L.A. back to a deciding Game 7.

Edited by Chaitanya Prakash