Shohei Ohtani shares the stage, spreads smiles with Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto & Roki Sasaki

The defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers have significantly bolstered their talent this offseason. In addition to acquiring two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell, KBO star Hyeseong Kim and former All-Star Michael Conforto, the team successfully lured in NPB pitching phenom Roki Sasaki.

Recently, NL MVP Shohei Ohtani shared a photo on Instagram with his compatriots Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki. Ohtani was all smiles as he posed with his national team cohorts-turned-MLB teammates.

Shohei Ohtani flashes the pearly whites with his compatriots (source: shoheiohtani/Instagram)

The trio was responsible for five of Team Japan's seven starts in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. During the tournament, Ohtani started two games and posted a 1.86 ERA. Sasaki, on the other hand, posted a 3.52 ERA in two appearances, while Yamamoto recorded a 2.45 ERA in his sole outing.

In the upcoming season, the trio will feature in the powerhouse Dodgers pitching crew, which includes former Tampa Bay Rays stars Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, with projected sporadic appearances from team legend Clayton Kershaw.

Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts names Yoshinobu Yamamoto as starter in Tokyo Series opener

On Mar. 18, 2025, the MLB will commence its opening series of the new season. The big twist is that it will take place at the historic Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. The two-game series will feature the World Series champion Dodgers against the Chicago Cubs.

In a recent interview, manager Dave Roberts revealed his plan to start Japanese stars Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki in the games, with the former slated to start the season opener.

Yamamoto, along with Sasaki and Shohei Ohtani, are expected to fend off the challenge posed by the Cubs' Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki in the series that will showcase plenty of homegrown talent from the Land of the Rising Sun.

Before signing a big-money contract with the Dodgers, Yamamoto blazed an unparalleled trail during his time with the Orix Buffaloes in the NPB.

He became just the second professional baseball player to win the pitching Triple Crown in three consecutive years, the second NPB pitcher to win three-consecutive Eiji Sawamura Awards and the second pitcher in Pacific League history to claim three-consecutive MVP honors.