'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUG/8QAFAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAv/aAAwDAQACEAMQAAAAr4YT/8QAIhAAAgECBgMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDBAUABhESIUETIjEy/9oACAEBAAE/AMzTJlyyWieEuyXR2oKnrUlf0oUjbrtPzHldPWlqKtIF4jVpmJC9A84//8QAGREAAgMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIAAxEh/9oACAECAQE/AHpQgPnZ/8QAGREAAgMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIAAzFx/9oACAEDAQE/AFvdSVGcE//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Arguably one of the greatest and most talented baseball players of all time, Shohei Ohtani of the LA Dodgers naturally enjoys a huge fan following back in his home country of Japan, as well as in the U.S. Before making the move to the major leagues, Ohtani spent four years with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of the NPB.
As one would expect from a player of Ohtani's caliber, his time in Japan was also hugely successful. He earned five NPB All-Star caps and won the Pacific League MVP award and the Japan Series, among other honors. With the Dodgers recently punching their ticket to the World Series, there is certainly no doubt who Japanese baseball fans will be backing.
Another reminder of Ohtani's massive popularity is the recent announcement by its creators that the latest addition to the hugely popular manga series, "One Piece," will be delayed. Episode 1 of "Fishman Island Arc Re-Edition" is now scheduled to premiere on November 3, 2024, to accommodate the World Series coverage.
Trending
Shohei Ohtani on the verge of completing one of the best baseball seasons of all time
This season, there isn't much Shohei Ohtani hasn't done, be it breaking into the 50-50 club for the first time or winning the NL West division with the LA Dodgers. With his team now qualified for the World Series after eliminating the New York Mets in the NLCS, he has the chance to give an incredible season the perfect ending.
Heading into his first ever MLB postseason, there was a lot of speculation about whether Ohtani would be able to deal with the unique pressure of playoff games. He has answered that question emphatically, with a .286 batting average, three home runs and 10 RBIs so far.
With Game 1 set to be played on Friday, Dodgers fans will be hoping Shohei Ohtani can continue swinging the bat the way he has had all season, as their team aims to bring back the championship to LA.
