Having a pitcher like Clayton Kershaw in the clubhouse is never a bad thing.

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ future Hall of Famer not only makes the team better on the field, but he commands a certain level of respect in the clubhouse because of all that he has accomplished in parts of 17 big league seasons.

Second-year starter with the Dodgers, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, had an incredible quote about his left-handed teammate ahead of the team’s season-opener against the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo.

“First of all, I respect him — baseball-wise, of course, but also his humanity,” Yamamoto said. “I admire him very much in every way. He’s an example. Just being in the same space as him, I feel as if I’ll become better at baseball.”

Yamamoto began his adventure of following in Kershaw’s footsteps when he took the mound for his first Opening Day in 2025, something that Kershaw has had the honor of doing several times in his career.

After a terrible debut last season against the San Diego Padres in the Seoul Series, Yamamoto hoped to redeem himself in Tokyo.

“This is my second year, I’m not a rookie anymore,” Yamamoto said through an interpreter. “So I’d like to get better and be a player who can make a contribution to the team a lot more.”

The disappointing start to 2024 forced him to grow up a little, according to manager Dave Roberts.

“I think Yoshinobu has grown up considerably in one year, I really do,” Roberts said. “I think he’ll have a tremendous season. I think it speaks to his character in the sense that after that debacle, that rough start, to bounce back like he did, it speaks to his compete and his character.”

While last season provided some early lessons for Yamamoto, he is all about looking ahead.

“In terms of preparation, there’s not much difference,” Yamamoto said. “Last year, things didn’t go my way, but this year, I think I’m pretty happy with where I am.”

Yamamoto shined in his 2025 debut, throwing five innings of one-run ball and leading the Dodgers to a win to open their season.