TOKYO — The electrifying crack of Shohei Ohtani’s bat reverberated through the Tokyo Dome, accompanied by the cheers of a packed house and the rhythmic beeping of credit card machines hustling Dodgers and Cubs merchandise. This scene must have been music to the ears of Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred.
Kicking off with a bang, the 2025 season showcased MLB’s international flair in Japan over the recent week. The Tokyo Dome was filled to its capacity with about 42,000 fans for each of the four games – two exhibition matches against local Japanese teams and two regular season clashes. The event wasn’t just limited to the stadium; many more congregated in the city center to partake in the excitement of this triumphant overseas venture.
This successful start aligns with MLB’s smooth run toward the domestic opening day slated for March 27. The game is in robust health, buoyed by a marginal increase in attendance and a swifter pace owing to rule changes implemented in 2023.
“To the city of Tokyo and the country of Japan, on behalf of the Dodgers and Major League Baseball, we just want to say thank you,” stated Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “You guys were all such great hosts, and hopefully, we put on a good show.”
Indeed, it’s tough to argue otherwise. Ohtani’s breathtaking solo home run in a 6-3 victory for the Dodgers was the highlight of a two-game sweep featuring five Japanese players returning home. Four of them performed admirably despite the immense pressure of the home crowd.
A historic moment unfolded with Chicago’s Shota Imanaga and Los Angeles’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto becoming the first all-Japanese pair of pitchers to face off on an opening day. Both were stellar; Imanaga delivered four scoreless innings while Yamamoto conceded just one run across five, leading to the Dodgers’ 4-1 win.
The second game saw a fiery debut from Dodgers’ rookie Roki Sasaki, who launched his MLB career hurling four 100 mph fastballs in an electrifying — if a tad inconsistent — spell across three innings. Meanwhile, Chicago’s Seiya Suzuki had an understated return, going hitless in both games.
All eyes, however, were on Ohtani, who deftly managed the towering expectations. He tallied three hits in eight at-bats, including an exhilarating solo homer, elevating the Dodgers to a 6-2 lead. Even Chicago’s Pete Crow-Armstrong contributed to the narrative, his throw of Ohtani’s home run ball into the seats gift-wrapping a moment of fame for a 10-year-old Japanese fan.
“Nothing Shohei does surprises me,” Roberts commented. “Everyone here tonight came to watch Shohei perform. And just like always, he delivered. It was a wonderful moment for everyone when he hit a home run here at Tokyo Dome.”
This joyful spectacle contrasted starkly with last year’s series between the Dodgers and Padres in South Korea, when a gambling scandal involving Ohtani’s translator, Ippei Mizuhara, marred the occasion. Mizuhara was later sentenced to prison for financial fraud, though Ohtani’s reputation emerged unscathed.
Responding to the turmoil, Ohtani enjoyed one of the greatest seasons in MLB, with 50 homers and stolen bases, propelling the Dodgers to a World Series triumph over the Yankees. His record-breaking $700 million contract seems well-warranted given his spectacular performance.
But questions remain about Ohtani’s durability, following offseason shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum and previous elbow surgeries. Yet, if history is any guide, Ohtani continues defying baseball’s norms, carving his legacy as one of the game’s greatest talents.