"I'm not perfect, but I'm grateful" - Shohei Ohtani gets honest about facing the limelight as Dodgers prepare for season opener vs. Cubs

Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani is set to start the 2025 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers in his home country. He will face the Chicago Cubs on March 18 as the Dodgers' designated hitter, officially commencing the season in Tokyo.

The showdown will be at the Tokyo Dome in Japan, with the Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto facing the Cubs' Shota Imanaga. Both teams have several solid Japanese-born players who are in high spirits to play in their homeland in front of their countrymen.

Even among Japanese-origin players, Shohei Ohtani stands out as extremely popular in the US and Japan. Ohtani discussed being able to play in Japan in an interview with CBS News, saying:

"I'm not perfect, but I'm grateful for being here right now, including all the imperfections. I'm also really thankful to the people in America who helped develop and bring baseball to Japan."

Shohei Ohtani is aware of his massive popularity, especially among children, and understands the responsibilities that come with it. Speaking about this, he said:

"It really means a lot to me when kids who play baseball say they want to be like Shohei Ohtani. I feel a strong responsibility to make sure I don't let those kids down."

After building a stellar career in the NPB, Shohei Ohtani entered MLB, playing for the Los Angeles Angels and making his debut in 2018.

Shohei Ohtani discusses offseason, shares excitement for 2025 season

Following a solid six-season stint with the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani inked a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Discussing spring training and his post-2024 offseason preparations, Ohtani said (via SI.com):

“As soon as the World Series was over, I went immediately to surgery. I was obviously rehabbing during this offseason, so I always kind of had a sense that spring training would be right around the corner."

“And it truly felt that way and it was like, you know, boom! We’re now in spring training, and again, we’re already on the doorstep of basically the season opening up. So, it was a very, very short offseason for me, but I’m just excited for the season to start up again.”

Ohtani played the 2024 season only as a designated hitter because of his elbow surgery the previous year. He excelled in his position, achieving several milestones, becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season and winning his third MVP title.