Dodgers name Tarik Skubal as NLDS Game 1 starter over Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Yoshinobu Yamamoto became a Los Angeles Dodgers legend in the 2025 World Series. But he won’t be the first pitcher the team trots out in this year’s National League Division Series.

Instead, it will be trade deadline acquisition Tarik Skubal starting Game 1 against the Atlanta Braves on Saturday, the team announced Friday.

Your NLDS Game 1 starter, Tarik Skubal. pic.twitter.com/OzncjuZXMg

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 2, 2026

The Dodgers’ postseason rotation consists of Skubal, Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, a high-priced and high-performing quartet, all with postseason experience. Yamamoto, Snell and Glasnow were all key parts of last year’s championship team, including relief appearances in Game 7 of the World Series.

Skubal, meanwhile, has a 2.04 ERA and 56 strikeouts in six career postseason starts, all in the wild-card and division rounds. The Detroit Tigers went 3-3 with him on the mound, though he only had one trily bad start in Game 5 of the 2024 ALDS against the Cleveland Guardians.

Platoon splits could have swung the decision as much as anything, as the Braves rank 11th in MLB with a .730 OPS against right-handed pitchers, like Yamamoto, compared to 21st at .696 against left-handers.

The Games 1 and 2 starting decision also matter quite a bit in a division series, as they also decide which pitchers are available for later in the series. Assuming the Dodgers stick to their rotation quartet and go into an all-hands-on-deck Game 5 with Skubal starting and Yamamoto possibly working behind him in relief on short rest.

Both Skubal and Yamamoto were excellent in this year’s regular season, with Yamamoto the only pitcher to last the entire year in the Dodgers’ rotation.

Skubal, acquired at the deadline in exchange for prospects Zyhir Hope, River Ryan and Brady Smith, missed a month earlier this year with loose bodies in his pitching elbow but holds a 2.61 ERA with the Dodgers. No pitcher in MLB had more fWAR than him following the deadline.

Source: sports.yahoo.com — article syndicated from the publisher’s feed; all rights remain with the original publisher.