Its a bit of a myth Im afraid that large numbers of japanese pilots were lost at Midway im afraid. More than 250 were rescued.
What the battle did was to tear the heart out of the japanese fast carrier forces. They no longer enjoyed a clear advantage in the number of carrier based aircraft they could bring into battle. Further, their grandiose plan to corner and destroy the US Fleet and from there obtain the peace terms they wanted, was in tatters at their feet.
While it may be true that many pilots were saved, those that were lost/wounded were the best Japan had. Add those to the losses suffered at Coral Sea and Japans carrier air groups were pretty beat up.