Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani admitted to feeling some nerves returning to Japan. Ohtani and his Dodgers club played in Tokyo Tuesday, in the Tokyo Series. The Dodgers won a 4-1 game over the Chicago Cubs to start the Major League Baseball season.
Every time Shohei Ohtani stepped up to the plate today, the fans at the Tokyo Dome went silent.
The @Dodgers superstar discussed his nerves to be back in Japan and more with Harold after getting the Game 1 victory.#MLBTonight | #TokyoSeries pic.twitter.com/QSQ1vBGrlK
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 18, 2025
“I was actually pretty nervous. It’s been awhile since I was nervous, but today I felt it,” Ohtani said through a translator after the game, per MLB.com.
Ohtani went 2-for-5 from the plate in the victory. Every time the famous star stepped up to bat, the large crowd at the Tokyo Dome became silent. It was a powerful experience for Ohtani.
“I did notice the silence, although it didn’t really bother me when I was at the plate,” Ohtani added. “I did recognize it, and had to adjust a little bit.”
The Dodgers looked strong as the team tries to defend its World Series championship. Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched five innings for the team, allowing just the one run.
Shohei Ohtani is becoming a phenomenon
Ohtani is treated as a national hero in Japan. The country has billboards all over the place with Ohtani’s face on it. The Dodgers felt all that love throughout their time in Tokyo.
“There was just so much anticipation to see anything he did,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, “which was different than any one of our other players.”
Even MLB Hall of Fame players like Ken Griffey Jr. are in awe of Ohtani.
“He’s one of the guys that you stop everything you’re doing so you can see what he’s going to do… because it can be that quick,” Griffey said, per NBC News.
Last season was the first campaign for Ohtani in Los Angeles. The Dodgers experienced a big bump in advertising revenue on stadium billboards, as well as increased ticket sales. People want to see Ohtani play.
That’s clearly music to the ears of the Dodgers organization. Ohtani signed a massive contract with the Dodgers before the 2024 season, and the team is trying to build a dynasty. More than $1 billion went out the door on Ohtani and Yamamoto alone.
Los Angeles has several Japanese players on the team. Pitcher Roki Sasaki is now on the roster, as well as Yamamoto and Ohtani. The Cubs meanwhile have pitcher Shota Imanaga and outfielder Seiya Suzuki.
“This is something worthy of being included in Japanese textbooks,” Japanese baseball fan Daiki Akiyama said. “I’ve been so excited I haven’t slept in three days.”
The Dodgers next play the Cubs again on Wednesday.
The post Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani makes rare ‘nervous’ admission after Tokyo Series win appeared first on ClutchPoints.
