Rob Manfred Impressed By Shohei Ohtani’s Stardom In Japan

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ trip to Japan for the Tokyo Series to begin the 2025 season was an unquestioned success on all fronts.

Not only did they sweep the Chicago Cubs as part of their historic eight wins in a row to open the 2025 season, but it also served as a way to observe and reinforce the success the Dodgers have had in “painting” Japan in Dodger Blue.

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Beginning with the signings of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto and continuing with Roki Sasaki’s arrival this season, the Dodgers have managed to capture the hearts of a country with a deep love for baseball.

But it really begins with Ohtani, whose status as one of the most well-known athletes in the world grows with every passing game. That is especially true in his home country, where Ohtani is the biggest celebrity in Japan.

Even then, the reception Ohtani received in Japan exceeded MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred’s wildest dreams, according to Michael S. Schmidt of the New York Times:

“The most striking thing about it was driving in from the airport, the number of Shohei Ohtani pictures that you saw, how frequently you saw his face, you wouldn’t believe it. If I had some measure of it, you would say, “Oh, no, no. You’re making that up.” When he came up to bat, it was dead quiet in the stadium.
 
“The level of fandom was amazing. Think about the population in Japan. They draw 56 million people to baseball games. That’s an unbelievable number given the size of the country. It’s just great baseball culture.”

Since 2023, fans have purchased Ohtani’s jersey more than any other in the world, including in the United States and Japan. In 2025, he once again has the most popular player jersey in the Majors and is one of six Dodgers ranked on the top-20 list.

Ohtani’s stardom in Japan and beyond has led to lucrative sponsorship deals that seemingly put him in position to defer $680 million of a $700 million contract with the Dodgers.

Shohei Ohtani throws splitter

Ohtani’s latest bullpen session included the use of his splitter for the first time since restarting his throwing program. Up until Saturday, Ohtani had been limited to throwing fastballs (two-seamer, four-seam, cutter) in his bullpens.