Swinging for the Fences: Ohtani, the Dodgers, and the Growth of Major League Baseball in Japan

By Sam Dantzler

On Thursday, the 2025 Major League Baseball regular season kicked off with an abundance of compelling storylines to follow over the next six months. Among the narratives, the LOADED Los Angeles Dodgers’ sustained dominance is poised to be at the center of attention as the season unfolds. Before their opening day game against the young, frisky Detroit Tigers, the 2024 World Series champion Dodgers unveiled their championship rings and officially raised their banner. Taking center stage at the celebration was the reigning National League MVP, Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani shined in the opening day festivities, going 2-for-4 with a home run and an RBI to launch his 2025 campaign at Dodger Stadium.

Although Thursday marked the league’s opening day, the season officially began with a two-game series between the Dodgers and the Cubs on March 18 and 19. The 2025 Tokyo Series, presented by Guggenheim and hosted at the Tokyo Dome, is the latest series in the MLB World Tour, following stops in Seoul, Mexico City, and Santo Domingo during the 2024 season. This latest iteration underscores MLB’s expanding influence in Japan, fueled by the popularity of Japanese-born players—with Ohtani as the marquee attraction. Since signing with the Los Angeles Angels in December 2017, the highly touted Japanese prospect has lived up to lofty expectations and has arguably established himself as the best player in all of baseball. Seven years later, after signing with the cross-town Dodgers in December 2023, Ohtani made history as the first MLB player to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season.

While the sheer spectacle of Ohtani’s talent is astounding, his influence on extending MLB’s reach into Japan is equally profound. Fanatics, the global leader in sports apparel, reported that the Tokyo two-game series generated $40 million in sales, marking the highest revenue event in the company’s history. During the week of festivities, over 200,000 fans shopped at the Fanatics-operated official MLB store, with more than 2,000 waiting in line before the series’ first game. The Tokyo Series has underscored the MLB’s already burgeoning financial success in Japan. Just last year, the company announced MLB merchandise sales in Japan increased by 170% compared to the previous year. In the past two years alone, the league has secured 14 new sponsorship deals in Japan, significantly contributing to the Tokyo Series’ success.

Despite MLB’s historical lag on social media compared to other North American leagues, the Tokyo Series achieved significantly higher engagement than previous global events. Video engagement across the league’s social media platforms reached 88 million plays, a 75% increase over the Seoul Series that took place last year. These financial and social media milestones underscore how the combination of on-field talent and strategic fan engagement is growing MLB’s global footprint, especially in Japan.

The popularity of Ohtani is unique, but the MLB’s growth in the country has been a constant theme for several decades now. Baseball boasts a rich history in Japan, and Ohtani is neither the first nor the only Japanese phenom to rise to stardom in the league. Other Japanese stars, like Ichiro Suzuki, the Hall of Fame inductee who had a long and storied career with the Seattle Mariners, have paved the way for a lasting relationship between Japan’s rich baseball heritage and Major League Baseball. This relationship is steeped in history and sustained by enduring, multifaceted cultural ties. In 1934, a group of American All-Stars led by Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig toured Japan, playing 18 games across 12 cities. They faced an All-Nippon team composed of the country’s best amateur players, and despite the Americans’ lopsided victories due to a clear skill gap, the tour captivated hundreds of thousands of fans. Ultimately, the tour played a pivotal role in sparking widespread enthusiasm for baseball in Japan despite the complex political environment in which the tour took place.

The MLB’s strategic expansion into Japan, driven by the performances of Ohtani, the Dodgers’ sustained excellence, and a rich history of cross-cultural baseball ties, marks a new era for the sport. Record-breaking fan engagement, sponsorship deals, and landmark events like the Tokyo Series underscore the league’s growing influence, both on the field and in the global marketplace. This fusion of athletic prowess and cultural diplomacy not only honors a storied past but also sets the stage for future expansion across the region.