There is no doubt about who is the biggest star in baseball today. Shohei Ohtaniwith his imposing presence, his ability to pitch and hit at the highest level and his incomparable performance on the field of play, has captured all the attention in the discipline, perhaps in a way that no player has achieved in a long time.
That fame seems to triple when it comes exclusively to Japanthe native country of the phenomenon of Los Angeles Dodgers. The faithful Asian fans have made themselves felt strongly when Ohtani is in uniform with the Californian troops, whether attending the stadiums of the Major Leagues or with massive television viewing that has turned the country of the samurai into one of the main markets in the MLB.
This past Sunday, when Ohtani and the rest of the Japanese delegation that will represent the country in the upcoming World Baseball Classic came to the city of Osakafans once again demonstrated that arguably no other athlete ignites Ohtani’s passions in his homeland.
A good portion of fans were present at the Shin-Osaka station to receive the players who came on the train. Most of the fans remained silent at first, but when Ohtani appeared on the scene, the scene changed completely.
The four-time winner of the award Most Valuable Player in the majors, who will only serve as a batter in this edition of the World Classic, has just won his second championship with the Dodgers, who defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in seven games in a memorable 2025 World Series.
Previous crown hero
It was Ohtani himself who struck out his then teammate in the Los Angeles Angels, Mike Troutto record the 27th out in the final between Japan and USA in the 2023 edition, when the Asians obtained their third of five titles that have been at stake since the creation of the competition.
Although Ohtani is the main figure of the team, Japan once again emerges as one of the favorites for the title thanks to other stellar pieces from the MLB, such as Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Yusei Kikuchi, Seiya Suzuki and Masataka Yoshida They will also be part of the team’s roster this time.
