While Japanese players are strongly represented among MLB rosters, including five taking part in the season-opening series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs at Tokyo Dome, Shohei Ohtani is not ready to call it a "golden age" of Japanese baseball.
Asked to put the current era into historical perspective on Friday, the Dodgers' two-way star and other members of the Japanese contingent in town for the MLB Tokyo Series were quick to pay tribute to those who preceded them in the major leagues.
"It's hard to tell if this is the golden age for Japanese players in the United States because I know there's been a lot of great players that came before me," three-time MVP Ohtani said.
"But having five is a big deal, and it's truly a big deal."
Hideo Nomo blazed a trail for Japanese players in MLB, starting with his sensational 1995 rookie season with the Dodgers, when he led the National League with 236 strikeouts. He went on to throw two no-hitters in his career.
Earlier this year, Ichiro Suzuki became the first Asian player elected to the Hall of Fame after a career that included 3,089 hits, 509 stolen bases and 10 Gold Gloves.
His No. 51 will be retired by the Seattle Mariners after his induction to Cooperstown in the summer.
Hideki Matsui was named the 2009 World Series MVP after hitting .615 (8-for-13) with three home runs and eight RBIs in six games for the victorious New York Yankees.
Ohtani will share the spotlight in Tokyo with Japanese pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki on the World Series champion Dodgers, while Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki will feature for the Cubs.
After successful rookie seasons in 2024, Yamamoto and Imanaga are set to make history as the first Japanese pitchers to go head-to-head as MLB Opening Day starters.
"It's a great honor to pitch on Opening Day," Imanaga said. "We are getting so much attention thanks to Japanese players who took on the challenge of the MLB before us. I'm grateful for that. We hope to build on the foundation they built."
Japan has been a driving force in Major League Baseball's bid to grow the game worldwide. The country will host MLB's season-opening series for the sixth time.
"It's really all thanks to the Japanese players that came before us, who laid the stepping stones for us to be here now," outfielder-designated hitter Suzuki said.
"I want to be a kind of stepping stone for the future generations of Japanese players to come play in MLB. I'm going to work hard and try my best, so hopefully more Japanese players can (follow)."
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