The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs are in Japan for the two-game Tokyo Series which begins this Tuesday night at 6:10 p.m. E.T.
Without a doubt, Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is one of the players people are most excited to see play in an MLB game in his home country.
The reigning National League Most Valuable Player even added to the hype of the Dodgers-Cubs showdown with a short message he posted on his official Instagram account.
“See you tonight ,” Ohtani wrote as a caption for a three-slide post that includes a video of him hitting a home run at the Tokyo Dome, where the Dodgers and the Cubs will play the series.
Among those who reacted to Ohtani’s message to baseball fans was the MLB’s official IG account, which left the following comment on his post: “Can’t wait!”
Shohei Ohtani’s IG post just hours before the Tokyo Series between the Dodgers and the Cubs.
Shohei Ohtani’s IG pic.twitter.com/5VUX6A2IUp — Don March (@ItsAlwaysMarch) March 18, 2025 Ohtani will be looking to pick up where he left off after winning a World Series with the Dodgers in 2024. That year, Ohtani hit .310/.390/.646 and belted 54 home runs to lead the National League.
Additionally, the 30-year-old Ohtani had a 190 OPS+ while finishing second in the big leagues with 59 stolen bases. Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani bats against the Hanshin Tigers.
Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Apart from Ohtani, other Japanese stars expected to garner attention this Tuesday are Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shota Imanaga, who will toe the rubber for the Dodgers and the Cubs, respectively.
Meanwhile, Dodgers rookie Roki Sasaki will start in the second game of the series opposite Chicago’s Justin Steele.