When Yoshinobu Yamamoto took the mound in Game 1 of the 2024 NLDS against the San Diego Padres, few expected the 25-year-old Japanese ace to struggle. After all, he’d just signed the longest and richest pitcher contract in MLB history — a 12-year, $325 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers — following three straight Eiji Sawamura Awards and MVP honors in Japan’s Pacific League. But the transition wasn’t seamless. He gave up five runs in just three innings. The silence in the Dodger dugout wasn’t just from disappointment — it was from concern. This wasn’t the pitcher they’d paid $325 million for. It was someone who looked lost.
The Starbucks Intervention
On the team’s day off in San Diego, Enrique Ramón "Kiké" Hernández, a 33-year-old veteran utility player entering his ninth MLB season, didn’t wait for coaches to act. He had a gut feeling. He walked over to Yamamoto’s hotel room, asked if he wanted to grab coffee, and they ended up at a Starbucks on the ground floor — just the two of them, with a Wasserman Media Group interpreter between them.
For nearly two hours, Hernández didn’t talk about mechanics. Didn’t mention pitch sequences. Didn’t even bring up the box score. He talked about pressure. About silence. About how every great pitcher, even the ones who look invincible, have moments where they doubt whether they belong. He told Yamamoto about his own struggles in 2017, when he was benched for months after a .198 average. "You’re not broken," Hernández said. "You’re just adjusting. And you’re not alone."
It wasn’t a pep talk. It was a human conversation. Yamamoto, who’d spent his entire career under the weight of Japanese expectations, later admitted he’d never had a teammate sit with him like that — not to fix him, but to be with him.
The Turning Point: October 20, 2025
Fast forward to Game 2 of the 2025 National League Championship Series at American Family Field in Milwaukee. The Brewers had just blasted Jackson Chourio’s first-pitch fastball into the Dodger bullpen. The same thing had happened on July 7, 2025 — when Yamamoto gave up five runs in two-thirds of an inning against Milwaukee, his most disastrous outing of the season. Fans held their breath. The dugout held its silence.
Then Yamamoto did something no Dodger pitcher had done in postseason play since José Lima in 2004: he pitched a complete game. Nine innings. One run. Seven strikeouts. Only five hits. He didn’t just recover — he dominated. He mixed his slider, cutter, and four-seamer with surgical precision, keeping Milwaukee’s hitters off-balance for eight innings after the home run.
"He’s got true confidence from me," said Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, after the game. "That’s not something you coach. That’s something you earn."
What Kiké Saw That Others Missed
"Um I wish I could say I’m surprised, but I’m not," Hernández told reporters after the game. "We’ve all seen it all year long. When he’s on, he’s in total control. He fills up the strike zone. He’s got a lot of different pitches that he can throw for strikes — or ball to strike, strike to ball. Keep him off balance. And the most impressive part tonight? Keeping his composure after the first-pitch homer. He didn’t let that affect him. He kept us in the game."
That’s the key. In July, Yamamoto had been rattled by Milwaukee’s aggressive approach — swinging early, grinding counts, forcing him into high-leverage situations. In October, he didn’t react. He adapted. He trusted his stuff. He trusted himself.
Yamamoto, through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda, acknowledged the progress but remained humble: "I have not gotten perfect encouragement or confidence yet." But the numbers don’t lie. After that Starbucks meeting, his ERA dropped from 4.18 to 2.73 over his final 14 starts. His WHIP improved by 0.32. He became the first pitcher in MLB history to throw a postseason complete game after allowing five runs in his first playoff start.
Why This Matters Beyond the Box Score
This isn’t just about a pitcher finding his form. It’s about culture. In Japanese baseball, emotional restraint is prized. Vulnerability is rarely shown — especially to teammates. Hernández, a Dominican-American with a reputation for being the team’s emotional glue, broke through that barrier. He didn’t offer a solution. He offered presence.
The Dodgers’ front office spent over $1.1 billion in free agency during December 2023. But the most valuable investment? That $0 transaction — a coffee, a conversation, a quiet moment of trust.
Now, Yamamoto is a leading candidate for the 2025 Cy Young Award. The Dodgers are one win away from the World Series. And somewhere in the quiet corner of a San Diego Starbucks, a veteran reminded a young star: You’re not alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Kiké Hernández help Yoshinobu Yamamoto overcome his confidence issues?
Hernández didn’t give technical advice — he offered emotional support. In a nearly two-hour conversation at a San Diego Starbucks, he shared his own struggles in 2017, normalized Yamamoto’s anxiety, and emphasized that doubt doesn’t mean failure. This human connection, facilitated by a Wasserman interpreter, helped Yamamoto feel seen rather than scrutinized, which was critical given Japan’s cultural emphasis on stoicism in sports.
What made Yamamoto’s NLCS Game 2 performance so historic?
Yamamoto threw the first complete-game postseason shutout by a Dodger pitcher since José Lima in 2004 — and he did it after allowing a leadoff homer, the same scenario that had derailed him in July 2025. He pitched nine innings, allowed only one run, and held Milwaukee scoreless over his final eight innings. It was the first time he’d completed a game in MLB, let alone in the playoffs.
Why was the Starbucks meeting so unusual in MLB culture?
In MLB, confidence-building is often handled by coaches or sports psychologists — not teammates. Hernández, a veteran, initiated an unstructured, personal conversation without team approval, which is rare. For a Japanese player like Yamamoto, who comes from a culture where emotional vulnerability is suppressed, this kind of informal, peer-led support was unprecedented and deeply impactful.
How did Yamamoto’s approach change between his July 2025 and October 2025 starts against Milwaukee?
In July, Milwaukee’s hitters aggressively attacked early counts, forcing Yamamoto into high-pressure situations — resulting in four hits and two walks in less than an inning. By October, he was more deliberate: he worked ahead in the count, mixed pitches effectively, and didn’t chase the narrative of the first-pitch homer. He allowed only five hits over nine innings and didn’t walk a single batter — a complete tactical and mental shift.
What does this mean for the Dodgers’ chances in the 2025 World Series?
With Yamamoto now pitching with unshakable confidence, the Dodgers have a true ace in the postseason. His ability to pitch deep into games reduces bullpen strain — a critical advantage in a long series. Combined with their top-ranked offense, Yamamoto’s transformation makes them the favorites to win the 2025 World Series, especially if he can replicate his NLCS Game 2 performance on the biggest stage.
Is this the most important non-financial move the Dodgers made in 2023?
Absolutely. While the $325 million contract grabbed headlines, the $0 investment — Hernández’s coffee meeting — may have been more valuable. No other team offered Yamamoto that kind of emotional support. The Dodgers didn’t just buy a pitcher; they built a culture where he could thrive. That’s why he’s now a Cy Young contender, not just a high-priced rookie.
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