Nearly 25 years after Ichiro Suzuki embarked on a Hall of Fame career for the Seattle Mariners, the impact of Japanese players in Major League Baseball is at a high point.

Shohei Ohtani met the moment in his return to the Tokyo Dome, because of course he did. In Saturday’s exhibition against the Yomiuri Giants, Ohtani – ever the showman – was quick to slug a home run while wearing a major league uniform in his home country for the first time for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Shohei Ohtani is gearing up for another season with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025. With the season opener coming up on March 18 against the Chicago Cubs, fans will get their first look at the new-look Dodgers.

With a crowd of 42,064 filling the Tokyo Dome, the three-time MVP delivers and goes deep in his second at-bat in the Dodgers’ 5-1 win over the Yomiuri Giants.