The Los Angeles Dodgers gave Shohei Ohtani an unprecedented $700 million contract hoping to drive interest — and the dollars that come with it — from fans across the Pacific.

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.

For the first time in six years, Major League Baseball games will be played in Japan this season. The Chicago Cubs and defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers will open the 2025 regular season with two games in Tokyo starting Tuesday.

Over the weekend, both MLB teams played exhibition games against Japanese teams. In the stadium where Ohtani once sent a ball through the roof, he (obviously) homered again. The packed stadium coming to a reverent hush before every pitch to him was truly something to behold.

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts has been ruled out of the two-game Tokyo Series against the Chicago Cubs because of an illness, manager Dave Roberts said Monday.