Ahead of the Tokyo Series, which will begin the MLB season next year, there have been discussions to have the Yomiuri Giants and the Dodgers play an exhibition game while the Dodgers are in Japan. Should these discussions lead to a game between the two, fans could be in for a treat seeing two former stars of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) playing against the league’s current stars.
The MLB announced in July that it would open the 2025 season in Tokyo, Japan. The two teams set to open the season next March are the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers. Although this will be the sixth time the MLB has begun a season in Japan, this is the first time four Japanese players will be featured on the MLB rosters.
The players include outfielder Seiya Suzuki and rookie left-handed pitcher Shota Imanaga for Chicago and two-way star Shohei Ohtani and rookie right-handed pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto for the Dodgers. All four are experienced in playing in the Tokyo Dome. All four spent time playing in Japan’s NPB and have visited the Tokyo Dome to play against the Yomiuri Giants, who call the Dome home.
Apparently there's a plan being discussed to have the Yomiuri Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers face off in an exhibition game, when the Dodgers and Cubs come to Japan in March 2025 to open the 2025 MLB season #npb #mlb https://t.co/xpiwKGU9zu
— NPB on reddit (@NPB_Reddit) August 6, 2024
Ohtani, now a star in the MLB and an MVP favorite, played in the NPB for five seasons with the Nippon Ham Fighters. During those seasons, Ohtani batted .286 and had a 42-15 record on the mound with a 2.52 ERA. The two-time MVP is batting .309 with 34 home runs in 2024.
Yamamoto, who debuted for the Dodgers this season, spent seven years in the NPB with the Orix Buffaloes. The righty had a 70-29 record over the seven seasons with a 1.82 ERA and 922 strikeouts. The 25-year-old was 6-2 with a 2.92 in 14 starts this season before a right rotator cuff strain on June 16 sidelined him.
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WBN MLB: https://worldbaseball.com/league/mlb/
WBN NPB: https://worldbaseball.com/league/japan/
Photo Credit: A fan takes photos beneath a new mural depicting Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, created by artist Robert Vargas on the Miyako Hotel in the neighborhood of Little Tokyo, on March 28, 2024 in Los Angeles, Calif. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
